THIS FIELD TRIP STINKS!

Everything goes wrong on the Wildwood Elementary field trip.

This picture book features one not-so-wild kid and a school bus full of some pretty wild creatures: George the gorilla, Charlie the crocodile, and Mr. Grizzly, a bear, as the teacher. Mr. Grizzly takes the class into the woods, where the narrator, a light-skinned, bespectacled child, winds up covered in poison ivy, getting pooped on by a bird, and running from a mountain lion. In the end, the anti-nature kiddo manages to find some joy in the great outdoors and delightfully quips, “S’mores are my favorite part of the food chain.” Scharnhorst’s story—a follow-up to My School Stinks! (2021)—is effectively told through diary entries, which gives readers a sense of the narrator’s gripes and inner monologue. Ultimately finding the silver lining in the situation is a classic moral for a good reason. Patton’s illustrations include fine line detail, like Patricia the porcupine’s individual quills, the snail’s tiny tie, and the intricacies of the map. The narrator’s expressions and body language—conveying everything from misery to pride—complement the text. The look of the notebook paper backing the text combined with the illustrations sometimes makes for pages that appear busy. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A relatable tale that will bolster the spirits of readers dreading their own field trips.