A review by hsquared
Wild Things!: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature by Betsy Bird, Peter Sieruta, Julie Danielson

4.0

Probably best appreciated by children's literature nerds, this was an entertaining look at the history of children's literature. The book is full of funny stories about authors, books, and the publishing industry. One of my favorites was the story of how illustrator Trina Schart Hyman took her revenge on a bad review by penning a mean-spirited epitaph on the gravestone in a picture of a cemetery in a later book. Nobody caught it until it had been in print, and many were not amused. Kirkus Reviews (the author of the aforementioned bad review) however took it in good spirits and said if they were going to dish it out they better be able to take it. Of particular interest today is the section on book banning and why children's literature seems so often the target of censors. Overall, an informative book for anyone with a love for children's books.