Wildful
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
New York Times Best Children’s Books of 2024
Kirkus Best Books of 2024
Shelf Awareness 2024 Best Books of the Year
The Globe 100: The Best Books of 2024
Poppy’s mother hasn’t been the same since Gran passed away. She stays inside and watches TV, unable to leave the couch. So maybe that’s why Poppy has started spending more time outside, taking her dog Pepper for walks around the neighborhood. When Pepper leads Poppy through a hole in the fence, she finds a forgotten forest that’s been there all along, as well as a new friend named Rob.
Rob teaches Poppy that you can find magic in the wilderness – if you know where to look! Poppy looks, and then she looks closer … and sees flowers opening before her eyes, watches animals slip into their hidden homes, and listens to the sound of water droplets falling gently on puddles, leaves and feathers. She can barely wait to tell Mum about everything she’s seen, and asks her to come see, too – but her mother rarely has the energy to leave the couch. Will Poppy ever be able help her mother see the beauty in the woods – and in life?
This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is an exploration of grief, love, and finding magic in the wilderness – and in ourselves.
Key Text Features
illustrations
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7
Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Staring at their phone with their headphones on, assumed teen Poppy takes their dog Pepper on a daily walk through their suburban neighborhood. When Pepper spies a fox peeking through a hole in a ramshackle fence, the pooch gives exuberant chase, causing Poppy to lose control of the leash before crashing into a hidden woodland overtaken by nature and boasting minimal signs of human activity. Pepper is quickly recovered with the help of Rob, who appears to be Poppy's age. Enlivened by the unexpected adventure, Poppy returns home, where they attempt to explain their excitement to their lethargic mother, who is mourning the loss of Poppy's maternal grandmother. Poppy and Pepper routinely meet up with Rob in the woodland, where the trio investigate deer tracks, listen to bird calls, and take in the unfurling of tree buds. Poppy's careful, meditative observation of their nature findings spills into their home life as they strive to share the magic with their mother in hopes of cheering her up. Kurimoto employs ballpoint and ink to finely render delicate, richly detailed grayscale art in this sparsely worded debut, which elegantly conveys Poppy's wide-eyed delight at each new discovery and the healing powers of connection and time spent out of doors. Ages 9–12. ■
