Wiggle Your Hips Wildebeest is an animal picture book for children written by Joan Sloane and illustrated by Mary Beth Benton. What better way to celebrate the end of the dry season on the African grasslands than to have a feast and invite all your friends and neighbors? That’s exactly what Waldo and Wilma Wildebeest decided to do. They scrubbed and polished their home, and Waldo, a chef, got to work in the kitchen creating root sushi. Wilma, a dancer, spent some time combing out her mane and tail to get ready for their guests. Soon, their friends appeared at their door, each bearing a special dish to help make the occasion especially festive. As they sat around the table, they appreciated all the different dishes and foods arrayed before them, but then something untoward happened and suddenly there was a food fight in earnest. At first, it was fun for everyone, but all too soon the novelty wore off, and the atmosphere was glum as guests and hosts surveyed the ruin of what had been a really extraordinary feast. What was to be done? How could Waldo and Wilma put smiles back on their guests’ faces? They had the perfect solution.

Reading Joan Sloane’s Wiggle Your Hips Wildebeest is a marvelous way to expose young readers to other cultures and animals from other lands. As well as the titular wildebeests, there are aardvarks, kudus, hippos, and warthogs at the party, and their signature dishes feature foods those animals actually eat. Mary Beth Benton’s illustrations work perfectly with the script. Each panel is a joy to linger over and explore. I especially loved the opening pages showing the African grasslands with straw huts in the background and rain clouds overhead. Look closely, and you see flowers, a striped caterpillar, and an elephant shyly peeking from behind an acacia tree in the distance. The traditional clothing worn by the wildebeests and their guests is depicted beautifully as well. Best of all, who would imagine that a gathering of beasts could learn to line dance? And they do in this book and quite well. Wiggle Your Hips Wildebeest is most highly recommended.

Wiggle Your Hips Wildebeest is written by Joan Sloane and illustrated by Mary Beth Benton. The dry season has finally come to an end, prompting the wild animals to join together for a feast. With the celebration about to start, each of the animals gathers their best dishes to take along with them. There was root sushi, tostadas, chili, greens, and several kinds of fruit. Enough food was brought to cover the table from end to end. The feasting began but then came to a stop when a tiny bit of food was flipped and hit Henry the Hippo’s nose. The food fight that ensued caused a terrible mess and left the table all but bare. With the animals upset and feeling awkward, how will the fun continue? Is there a way to resolve their minor issue that will make everyone calm and happy again? Is the party over or has it just begun?

I absolutely adored Wiggle Your Hips Wildebeest by Joan Sloane. The excitement of the characters as they prepared their favorite dishes and dressed in their best was full of silly and slimy fun. The way the story went from utter happiness during a celebration to chaos over a minor mishap was very relatable to what happens at large gatherings in society. I love how Sloane exercised quiet and calm problem-solving skills in her story so that readers could see that not everything requires an outburst. The illustrations by Mary Beth Benton are beautiful, bright, and colorful as they add a splash of visual fun to the story. I highly recommend Wiggle Your Hips Wildebeest to anyone with children.