WILD EVERYWHERE

A nature-loving child leaves the countryside for the city.

In place of the wild, with its visible constellations and lovely plants and animals (including, best of all, a beautiful blue-winged bird), the young, light-skinned narrator sees only “gray glass buildings” with “fish scale sides” that cannot be climbed. The urban streets are dark and rainy, and the protagonist laments, “The city is lonely and so am I. I’ve lost my wild.” Printed in a hand-written font, these last four words are nothing less than a cry for help—but one that is soon answered. The blue-winged bird arrives and leads the child to a river that poetically “rolls and twists and shows me the secrets hidden under its tongue.” Once again, birds, animals, plants, and insects appear. The child climbs a tree and exults in nature’s abundance. “A burst of parakeets color the air green.” A fox appears as stars emerge in the sky. The child now understands: “There is wildness everywhere.” With lyrical text marked by clever turns of phrase and imaginative, mixed-media illustrations contrasting muted city scenes with vibrant depictions of the wilderness, this is a strong read-aloud for group and family settings.

Enticing images of flora and fauna will send readers out on their own personal nature hunts.