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How would you react if you knew that death was imminent? Shock, denial, and anger might be par for the course. Indeed, this is how it is for a turkey brought to Farmer Bob's home. He knows that his only purpose is to end up on someone's dinner plate. With the clock of his life ticking away, he snaps. As the book's title states, this young turkey goes "wild," although that is putting it nicely. He desires to be the center of attention and fulfills this wish by being belligerent, consequently making the other farm animals' lives a living hell. After all, if he can't be happy, why should they? Forget Farmer Bob's plans, this turkey may have his neck wrung before the day is through if he doesn't keep his attitude in check!
Young has a unique way of exploring a living being coming to terms with death. It is a difficult lesson to teach, especially to young kids. The author explores these aspect of it: fury and indignation. The turkey's outlet for his anger is not a healthy one, however. He takes it out on everyone around him. While this is certainly a realistic approach to how a person can cope with their own mortality, does this make it acceptable to imply that it is ok to be crass and spoiling for a fight with whoever?
The graphics are well-done. It is formatted like a comic book on one side with bubbled text that nicely complements the prose on the other side. It gives depth to the story without leaning heavily on prose. While it is a story that may appeal to children, parents may want to review the book beforehand because the turkey is offensive in a way that may be considered inappropriate.