Knopf/Random House, 2016
Abigail Halpin, illustrator
Julia Maguire, editor
Nicole Gastonguay, senior designer
A lovely, lyrical picture book with gorgeous illustrations that explores the ways the wild makes itself known to us and how much closer it is than we think.
There are so many places that wild can exist, if only you know where to look! Can you find it? Two kids set off on an adventure away from their urban home and discover all the beauty of the natural world. From the bark on the trees to the sudden storm that moves across the sky to fire and flowers, and snowflakes and fresh fruit. As the children make their way through the woods and back to the paved and noisy streets, they discover that wild exists not just off in some distant place, but right in their own backyard.
BUY:
Book Depository (free international shipping to many countries)
AWARDS, LISTS, AND SUCH:
Summer 2016 Kids’ Indie Next List
Scholastic Teacher’s 50 Sensational Books of Summer
A Summer 2016 ALSC’s Notable Children’s Books nominee
A Reading Rockets Summer Reading Guide 2016 selection
A PDX Parent Summer Reading pick
Green Earth Book Award 2017 Long List
A Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year selection
REVIEWS:
“Sometimes the most striking picture books are the ones that make readers see something in a new way, or that creatively express a concept regularly pondered but rarely put into words.” –Shelf Awareness, starred review
“Lloyd’s sparkling debut celebrates nature through a whimsical meditation on the idea of wildness. Halpin’s lush and delicately detailed mixed-media pictures…dominated by muted greens and blues pull readers into the diverse landscapes the children traverse. A spirit of adventure and exploration runs throughout the book.” –Publishers Weekly
“An enchanting storytime book, Finding Wild is also a delightful gift for anyone with an affinity for determined city blossoms and wide, green spaces. It would also be a delightful addition to any curriculum on descriptive writing.” –BookPage
“Inspiring children to claim the ‘wild’ where they can find it, this notable debut is a paean to the beauty, fun, and relevance of the natural world…In an age when children spend less and less time outside, this ode to the wonder of the natural world is a step in the right direction.” –School Library Journal
“A feast for the senses, this story describes what wild looks, feels, smells, sounds, and tastes like, and it reminds readers that wild can hide in the most unusual of places, and finding wild is possible for everyone no matter where they live.” –International Literacy Association
LINKS:
Illustrator Abigail Halpin’s website
An interview with me about Finding Wild on the Emu’s Debuts blog
My chat with Karlin Gray on her My First Picture Book Q&A blog
My path to publication on author Elizabeth O. Dulemba’s blog
What is Wild? guest post on author Jean Reidy’s blog
My Pinterest board of kids’ nature activities
Buy now from:
La naturaleza está mucho más cerca de ti de lo que piensas, sólo tienes que saber dónde mirar. ¿Serás capaz de encontrarla? A apenas unos pasos de una boca de metro, una simple hoja captará la atención de unos niños, conduciéndoles a una maravillosa aventura que les alejará de su ciudad para sumergirles en toda la belleza del mundo salvaje. Así descubrirán que la naturaleza está repleta de buenos olores, como el de la menta fresca o el de una recóndita cueva antigua, que lo salvaje puede sentirse en el calor del bosque o en un frío carámbano, que puede ser dulce como las moras o la miel de las abejas y que hace ruido como los truenos o los susurros del viento. Las coloridas y sugerentes ilustraciones de este libro nos avisan de que la vida salvaje no se puede contener, sólo permanece oculta, esperando a que la descubras.
Mira. Mira más cerca. ¿Lo ves? Es lo salvaje. Está ahí, escondido. Esperándote. Vivas donde vivas, sal fuera y encuéntralo: lo salvaje te espera. Deja que el espíritu de la aventura y la exploración te guíen en su búsqueda.
MEGAN WAGNER LLOYD 