Life in the Wild: The Collected Adventures of the Bear, the Moose and the Beaver

Written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-1292-2

200 pp.

Ages 4-8

September 2024

Nicholas Oldland's Bear, Moose and Beaver have returned and they're in an amazing collection of six previously published books so young readers won't just be introduced to these characters but really get to know them.

The six stories included in this collection are Big Bear Hug, Making the Moose Out of Life, The Busy Beaver, Up the Creek, Walk on the Wild Side, and Hockey in the Wild. Playing up some fun puns, Nicholas Oldland truly takes us into the wild lives of his trio of friends.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Big Bear Hug is a story of how a bear loves to give hugs to everyone and everything but most especially trees. But when a man with an axe arrives to chop down one of the most beautiful trees, the bear has other ideas.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Making the Moose Out of Life has a moose who starts to wonder if he's missing out on life and decides "to take life by the antlers." (p. 49) Instead, a sailing misadventure leads to new experiences, a new friend, and the catalyst for courage to try new things.

 

A very busy but careless beaver learns the error of his ways when hospitalized after a tree-felling mishap in The Busy Beaver. However, his rehabilitation for his injuries gives him the opportunity to make right his mistakes.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Up the Creek's tale focuses on the three friends learning to cooperate on a canoeing trip filled with disasters and bickering. It is only through teamwork that the bear, moose and beaver can survive.

 

The theme of cooperation is revisited in Walk on the Wild Side when a mountain hike becomes a competition that becomes dangerous.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Finally, in Hockey in the Wild (reviewed here in 2020), the trio anticipate the start to their hockey season on the ice but patience is necessary to keep themselves safe to enjoy their winter pastime.

 

In all these stories, Nicolas Oldland infuses his characters with honest friendships while they learn lessons in patience, cooperation, teamwork, compassion and more. And he does so by example, not by preaching. Nicholas Oldland ensures that each animal is unique, quirky in their own ways, and yet willing to change when needed to help others and help themselves grow as individuals.

From Life in the Wild, written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Teachers and parents may love the stories for the important lessons Nicholas Oldland imparts but kids will adore them for the silliness of these very realistic stories–who hasn't had a competition with a peer or sibling that ended in disaster?–and Nicholas Oldland's digital art. The simplicity of the shape and lines of his characters and settings make everything easily recognizable but it's the details in the expressiveness of his characters' faces and gestures that will be more relatable and still very cute. Whether chagrined at a capsized canoe or standing in a bathing suit on an ice-covered lake, the bear, moose and beaver emote according to all life's circumstances and tell children that they know how they feel.

 

Nicholas Oldland offers readers a great opportunity to take a comprehensive walk on the wild side with the bear, the moose and the beaver in Life in the Wild because whether it's winter or summer, spring or fall, there's always something happening, including ways to live in the not-so-wild.

Hockey in the Wild

Written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0241-1

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

September 2020 

There's something wild going on in the woods as the beaver, bear and moose anticipate the start of hockey season. But, as sometimes happens when looking forward to something wonderful, being too eager can be problematic and the waiting exasperating.

From Hockey in the Wild by Nicholas Oldland

Heading out for his daily dip in the lake, the beaver is surprised to find the water had turned to ice but thrilled to share the news with his friends (by cell phone, no less). But when the trio hit the ice, they are chagrined to realize that the ice isn't thick enough yet. Still the friends are determined and return, better prepared with life vests or water wings, none of which sadly help.

From Hockey in the Wild by Nicholas Oldland

To distract themselves from their waiting, they "practiced competitive napping" and sing karaoke. They eat comfort food and veg out watching television. Unfortunately when it would seem that winter has finally arrived in all its frozen glory, the group is out of shape and unprepared to head out on the ice.

From Hockey in the Wild by Nicholas Oldland

So, the beaver, the bear and the moose get to work. This time, with a little preparedness with respect to their personal training and foresight about the conditions of the ice, the friends launch their hockey-on-the-lake season with gusto and success.

From Hockey in the Wild by Nicholas Oldland

Nicholas Oldland always charms with his Life in the Wild books. (See the graphic below for the list of titles available currently.) He puts forth important messages about everything from teamwork and environmental awareness to patience and perseverance, all important lessons for young readers. But, by suiting these messages up in his adorable forest creatures –like a beaver in a baby-blue swim suit, or a moose with a polka-dot cellphone case or a cardinal as goalie–Nicholas Oldland's story gets meaning without preaching. Still it's always his illustrations that will draw young readers. I've written before (see my review of One Wild Christmas) about the subtlety of the lines and shapes of his digitally-rendered artwork and the narrow palette that speak to young children. It's rustic but not silly.

At this time of year, there will be a lot of anticipation and impatience shown by young children. Whether they're hockey fans or not, Hockey in the Wild will encourage children to wait. That could be waiting until the right time to open gifts or until the ice is strong enough, or until they're ready to pursue new challenges, but it always means waiting with the right attitude to help ensure success.

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One Wild Christmas

Written and illustrated by Nicholas Oldland

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0203-9

32 pp.

Ages 3-7

September 2019 

Nicholas Oldland's animal friends from his Life in the Wild series of picture books are back and this time the trio of friends are anticipating their favourite time of year and preparing for the finest celebration.

From One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland

A beaver, a moose and a bear have their traditions which many children will recognize. There's the cooking of the food–check out the moose's apron that reads "I ❤️ X-Moose"– hanging the stockings, putting up lights, wrapping presents and getting a Christmas tree. Finding the right tree is not easy but they finally locate a beautiful pine. However, "the bear loved all living things, especially trees" and he was not going to let the beaver chop it down. When it becomes evident that moose and beaver are determined to have that perfect tree–there is quite a tussle!– the bear finds a solution, as suggested by a little cardinal, that allows the trio to celebrate the holiday without harming a living tree.

From One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland

At this time of year, many families fortunate enough to have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with a tree must be considering their options. The choices would seem to be endless: fake or real, spruce or fir or pine, green or silver, cut or potted. Even within families, the discussions, nay arguments, can seem endless. Fortunately Nicholas Oldland's characters who are a family of their own find a way to enjoy a beautiful tree by taking their celebration to the wild, hence One Wild Christmas. 

From One Wild Christmas by Nicholas Oldland

The message about conservation and the natural world is charming, as are Nicholas Oldland's characters and whimsical settings. (Readers may recognize the artwork from the Hatley and Little Blue House apparel companies which are run by Nicholas Oldland and his brothers.) Simple in line and shape and even colour, his artwork, rendered in Photoshop, is uncluttered but natural and inviting while rustic, not unlike the pine the trio of friends discover. In the basic outdoorsy colours of brown, black and green with blue for the sky, Nicholas Oldland's setting reminds us that we are outside in the wild. Still, the only bird and a sled and Christmas accessories bring in the bright reds and colour to offset the organic world and bring a celebration of friendship, family and environment to life.

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Read about all the books in the Life in the Wild series at Kids Can Press here.

Life in the Wild series by Nicholas Oldland