WILDERNESS

Selections from the naturalist’s writings are paired with illustrations by Italian illustrator Manna.

Muir is introduced to readers in a one-page introduction as a “Scottish-born naturalist, activist, and writer” who traveled across the United States and fell in love with the woods of the West Coast. His writings on nature, his founding of the Sierra Club in 1892, and his help establishing national parks under President Theodore Roosevelt made him important in the modern environmental movement. The selections of his writings are culled from a handful of his many published letters, articles, and books as well as field journals published after his death. Each spread showcases a few lines of text with single- or double-page illustrations that loosely visualize the text. Some are realistic scenes of Muir as an old man gazing at mountains or collecting plants; others present somewhat fantastical images, such as plants growing out of his hands. Muir’s words invite readers to walk, to camp, to climb mountains, to feel the sunshine and wind within; to wander, to rest, to observe, and to join nature’s creatures. He describes the world and humans’ place in it with inspired, loving words and phrases. Manna’s masterful illustrations bring wild places and beings to life on the page using a simple palette of brown, green, and blue to blend Muir right into his natural surroundings.

A sweet sip from a deep well.