Wild is a beautifully illustrated, inspirational hardback picture book which celebrates the wonderful wildness of nature and the joy and freedom to be had in our connection to it.
Written in first person, this story follows a young girl who enjoys the freedom and wildness of the woods. Climbing into the branches of a tree to get closer to the sky, she sees the birds flying above her as she shouts her name into the air – just joyous! The woods is a place where her imagination ignites and she sees both secrets and stories around her. Her love for this wild place shines brightly through both the lyrical language and the beautiful illustrations.
But one day, the little girl leaves her wild woods behind. Moving to the city, she is surrounded by grey buildings taller than trees and loses her wildness, feeling her own loneliness and that of the city. Until one day, a friend calls to her and takes her on a journey to discover the hidden wildness in this urban environment … can she find the wildness within herself?
This is an incredibly inspirational and uplifting story that shows us that the natural world can be found in the most unlikely of places if only we are prepared to notice the small things, the hidden treasures, and to search for the wildness that lies within, and close to, the urban landscape.
I absolutely loved the poetic imagery within the story: I can’t climb [buildings] fish scale sides, gulls scribble themselves into the sky, a twist of fox. I also really enjoyed that it is written in first person and in the present tense which brings a feeling of immediacy, taking us into the world of the little girl to connect with her experience as she explores the city and finds the wildness within.
The illustrations are absolutely stunning and perfectly express the changing mood of the little girl as she enjoys the colourful wildness of the woods at the start of the story, changing to the dull grey of the city with her bringing the only colour into this landscape. As she connects with her wildness again, the colour palette moves through a blend of colour and greyness to a much more colourful palette. I also loved the endpapers with their repeating images of plants, leaves and insects – perfect for young children to use as part of a nature trail to see how many of these they can find.
A stunning tale of the wild beauty of nature and our connection to it in unexpected places, bringing joy, hope and a wildness within.
Thank you to Walker Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Book Craic 