Product Description

"An unforgettable story." --Starred, Booklist

"Nature and civilization collide in this thought-provoking picture book based on the story of a boy discovered living alone in the mountain forests of southern France in 1800 . . . Young readers will be fascinated, perhaps even spurred to further investigate the facts behind the story." --Starred, Publishers Weekly

"The illustrations, executed in textured paint strokes and rough, crosshatched lines, evoke the untamed freedom of a child who lives purely for himself. The page design heightens the emotional tension and moves the story forward." --Starred, School Library Journal

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #157258 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Nature and civilization collide in this thought-provoking picture book based on the story of a boy discovered living alone in the mountain forests of southern France in 1800. Hunters are first to see the boy scampering in the woods, where he had survived on plants and berries and the icy mountain-stream water. Captured, the boy is later brought to Paris's Institute for Deaf-Mutes, where experts test and examine him, and finally determine that he is "hopeless." Happily, one doctor thinks otherwise and welcomes the boy into his home, teaching him skills and caring for him. "He will never learn to speak," the doctor eventually realizes. "He was alone in the silent woods too long. But he has learned to have feelings, and they can be hurt." Gerstein's (The Story of May) detailed and informative text clearly reflects a wealth of research; he is simultaneously publishing a novel, Victor, on the same subject (reviewed below). The smoothly paced writing sustains a mysterious and sometimes melancholy tone, in keeping with its subject matter. In loose-lined panel illustrations, Gerstein conveys an arc of emotions. He depicts the unrestrained joy of the boy cavorting nude in his natural surroundings, while scenes of capture are suitably darkened. Ultimately, the boy's home life in Paris appears warm and bright. Young readers will be fascinated, perhaps even spurred to further investigate the facts behind the story. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-In 1800, a preadolescent boy was found wandering in the forests near Saint-Sernin in southern France. This "feral" or wild child, who had somehow survived without human contact for years, became the object of intense study by French experts who labeled him as hopelessly retarded when they failed to communicate with him. However, a young doctor named Jean-Marc Itard was intrigued by the boy and took him into his home where they worked together for several years. Itard's careful observations and sensitive teaching allowed Victor, as he was named, to learn something of civilized life, although he never learned to talk. Gerstein has built The Wild Boy around these details and imagined Victor's life with great sympathy. The illustrations, executed in textured paint strokes and rough, crosshatched lines, evoke the untamed freedom of a child who lives purely for himself. The page design heightens the emotional tension and moves the story forward. Bright colors convey Victor's joyous connection to his natural world while a darker palette shows him in captivity. Softer hues portray the warmth of the Itard household but the overall blue tones evoke Victor's lost innocence and the human potential that was never realized. Children will be fascinated with this true-life survival tale and intrigued by the human need for socialization and interaction.
Barbara Kiefer, Teachers College, Columbia University, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 6^-8, older for reading alone. In the year 1800, an authentic wild child was captured near the village of Saint-Sernin in the south of France. How the boy had survived, naked and alone in the forest, remains a mystery to this day. More to the point: when his case continued to baffle leading scientists of the day, the boy was declared hopelessly retarded and remanded to an institution. There, he caught the eye and imagination of a young doctor named Jean-Marc Itard, who adopted the child and named him Victor. Inspired by both the historical case and Francois Truffaut's 1970 movie, The Wild Child, Gerstein has written and illustrated a haunting and sometimes heartbreaking version. Cinematic in the layout and design of its beautifully colored illustrations, The Wild Boy is masterful in capturing Victor's passionate love for the wilderness and contrasting it with the hideous bleakness of the "civilized" existence he must endure until his adoption by Itard. Gerstein's prose finds power in its simplicity and emotional resonance in its declarative understatement: "He loved the icy water from the mountain streams and drank with his chin touching the mossy rocks." Meanwhile, the narrative strength and energy of the illustrations expand the inherent drama of Victor's situation. Together, Gerstein's text and pictures work to create an unforgettable story that engages the empathy of readers while stimulating their imaginations. Gerstein's novel about Victor is reviewed in the Older Readers section in this issue. Michael Cart

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Nourishment for Inquisitive Young Minds!
Every now and then, a parent runs across a children's book which seems to work magic on young minds. "The Wild Boy" is one such book. Based on the true story of Dr. Jean-Marc Itard's attempts to socialize...and humanize... a boy found inexplicably surviving in the woods of Southern France, this book is thoroughly engrossing.

One mark of a great book for kids is whether it encourages the exploration of broader questions than what can be immediately gleaned from the narrative. This book delivers on that score. It presents the story simply, but in such a way that the reader is encouraged to think about the moral complexity involved. Many questions are raised in the young reader's mind, such as "Is it right to treat another human, no matter how uncivilized, like a scientific object?" "Where do our feelings come from?" and ultimately "What does it mean to be human?"

If you like to discuss with young folks the books you read to them, this one is perfect for that purpose. It has a way of igniting inquisitive responses, and even ends with the vague but tantalizing words... "I wonder..."-

Fascinating!
This is a true mystery--How did a child come to be raised in the wild. How did he survive? What does he think about our civilized world? What brings him joy and sorrow? This book asks the question, "What does it mean to be human." Young children should have some interesting answers.

The Wild Boy
This is a wonderful picture book about the wild boy of Aveyron. It is a story about a boy who was found in a forest in France during the craziness of the French Revolution before Napoleon took over. The boy was apparently wild and was more oriented to the forest and forest animals. Some believe he was a mentally retarded boy who was misused by scientists, others believe the story that he was a wild boy tamed by a young French scientist who taught him to live in society to some extent but never to speak. This book takes the latter story and I believe it too. The boy did learn to read and spell simple words and well as actions that communicated his needs. He also seemed to have a strong connection to the forest. This book tells the story beautifully and children will feel a strong attachment to the wild boy also.