Wild City

will be great to read aloud for groups, particularly as a jumping-off point in encouraging everyone to getting on the action

-- Children's Books Ireland in the Irish Examiner

Ashwin Chacko has used bright and vivid colours with strong lines to create images that are attractive and engaging to the reader. It is bold and eye-catching but contains enough subtlety to allow the reader to project their own imagination into his pictures … a feel-good, fun book!

-- Inis Magazine

Exploring the streets and parks, the monuments and buildings right outside the door, this is a fast-paced and fun story about finding the joy and wonder in the everyday world around us. The artwork is fantastic! Bright, vibrant and very like the street art that must have inspired it. Excellent, imaginative and incredibly wild!

-- Fallen Star Stories

really works as a book to be read aloud in the classroom … engaging and interactive … highly recommended

-- Children's Books Ireland, InTouch Magazine

a vibrant, lively picture book all about Dublin

-- Sarah Webb

This story shows how anything is possible with a bit of imagination … aims to encourage children to ignore their devices and explore their outside environment. The pages in the story are full of bright, colourful artwork reminiscent of urban street art. The pictures are full of detail and give ample opportunity for discussion. Embedded in the story are questions which prompt the reader to draw on their own general knowledge about a range of topics including dinosaurs, sea creatures and rockets … would be best suited to pupils in First and Second Class. The pages in the story are not overloaded with words, and a rhyming chant about the wonders of the city is repeated throughout the story … would also be an excellent S.E.S.E. resource for teachers particularly those interested in teaching about the sights and sounds of Dublin in a fun and accessible way … bursting with imagination and a real enjoyable read. I would rate it 10/10. Mary McMahon: Scoil Chliodhna CNS, Carraigtwohill, Co. Cork

-- Seomra Ranga

A vibrant, lively picture book all about Dublin. Two children, Lily and Tim, visit the city, and with a snap of their fingers, they turn ‘boring’ things like the Luas into amazing things like a submarine. Original and inventive

-- Irish Independent

takes young readers on an imaginative tour of Dublin, as with a “snap, a clap, and a zap” friends Lily and Tim turn a boring trip to the city into a fantastic adventure. A journey on the Luas becomes a submarine ride, the Spire turns into a time machine, and even a plain old seagull transforms into a pterodactyl for those prepared to open their minds to the possibility of adventure in the most unexpected places

 

-- The Echo

this picture book by Dublin-based author and illustrator Ashwin Chacko encourages kids to explore the outside world

-- Irish Independent

Chacko’s illustrations are bold and eye-catching with strong lines and vivid colours … the text invites interaction and is ideal for reading aloud in a group setting … a feel-good, fun book!

-- Children's Books Ireland’s Annual Reading Guide 2023

Take a trip in the Wild City with our two intrepid friends Tim and Lily! While you may think you know where you are going, all it takes is imagination to remake the familiar into the fabulous. Read and watch as trams turn into submarines – and a central landmark is a Time Machine Tower. Our brave duo meet dinosaurs and trolls in a city that might be familiar to you. (Hint: it’s the Irish capital!) Our two young adventurers have a special gift – they can turn the boring to the amazing. So a seemingly normal journey turns into a grand escapade. Of course, they make sure to stay safe and get back home at the end of the day. Ashwin Chacko has used bright and vivid colours with strong lines to create images that are attractive and engaging to the reader. It is bold and eye-catching but contains enough subtlety to allow the reader to project their own imagination into his pictures. Wild City really works as a book to be read aloud, as it contains lots of action verbs and emphatic statements. The great use of repetition with rhymes will engage and promote children to interact with the book. It also allows for creating physical movement for children to follow the story. This allows it to stand up to multiple readings. The book works really well being read in a group setting and is a perfect choice for a storytime. A feel-good, fun book!