Jimmy Finnigan’s Wild Wood Band is a great story for showing how important it is to follow your dreams and it also conveys the positive effect that music can have in life. Jimmy loves music and wants to start a band but when he can’t find anybody in his village to join him he ventures into the wild wood…
The Story: Jimmy Finnigan lives in a ‘nice’ village but he is warned about going into the wild woods. When Jimmy discovers Dad’s old records he becomes a musician and decides to start a band but the villagers tear down his posters. So Jimmy ventures towards the wild woods where he discovers a group of animals playing instruments. A wild wood band is formed but how will the villagers react?
Jimmy’s village is just too perfect so when Jimmy starts to make music it’s frowned upon and his efforts to create a band are thwarted by the villagers. Despite the repeated warnings to stay away, frustration drives Jimmy towards the wild wood where he seizes the opportunity to follow his dream and play in a band with a wolf, a bear and a beaver. But his actions also have an impact on the villagers.
We love the way that Jimmy changes his look from nice and neat to ‘rockstar’ as the story progresses, the humour in the illustrations portrays the change in the way that he does his hair and wears his school tie. We love Tom Knight’s illustrations and it’s hard to pick favourites. I love the pictures of Sergeant Marchant who, due to the low crime rate in the village, spends a lot of his time knitting for an unusual clientele!! My daughter loves the picture of the animals practising their different instruments, she especially loves the big bear who plays the drums.
Jimmy Finnigan’s Wild Wood Band is a fabulous story to include in a school topic on music and instruments. Children could choose an animal and a musical instrument and paint them for a classroom wall display. Painting to music is a fun classroom activity and can really inspire children to get creative and feel the beat of the music as they paint.
Age Range: 3 to 7
Author / Illustrator: Tom Knight
Thank you to Templar Books for sending us Jimmy Finnigan’s Wild Wood Band. We’re so happy that Jimmy’s dream of being a musician comes true!
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