Wild Rilla

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Rilla likes to be assertive. Unfortunately, her teacher, Ms. Wesley,
does not quite see it that way. She has just sent Rilla to the Time-Out
Couch for trying to grab some of her classmate’s building blocks to
finish her own project. But Ms. Wesley does not know whom she is dealing
with. Rilla is really Wild Rilla, a magical little girl who can move
faster than an adult’s eye can see. In a flash, Wild Rilla is out the
door and speeding down the hallway looking for adventure. She hears a
wail from the Junior Kindergarten room. It is Mr. Leopold, who is crying
because he does not know how to decorate his classroom. Wild Rilla comes
to the rescue! In a flash she mixes up amazing new colors and has
everyone decorating the walls with finger and toe painting. “How can I
ever thank you?” Mr. Leopold asks. But Wild Rilla is already out the
door because she has just heard another call for help down the hall.

This is an entertaining tale about a high-spirited little girl who uses
her imagination to reverse the roles of authority between herself and
adults. Gilmore’s text makes many wry observations about authority and
how it is used. (Wild Rilla’s magic powers qualify her to boss adults
around, but only for their own good.) Cathcart’s colorful and
energetic illustrations work extremely well with the text. Recommended.