Our Wild Garden

By Author / Illustrator

Daniel Seton, Pieter Fannes

Genre

Environment

Age range(s)

Publisher

Pushkin Children's Books

ISBN

9781782694502

Format

Hardback

Published

23-05-2024

Synopsis

What if wildlife wasn't something we saw on nature documentaries, but something that lived in our gardens?When Ali and Poppy hear about wild gardening at school, they immediately start to dream about all the adventures they could have if they invited the wild into their garden.

They speak to their parents, and soon set to work transforming their ordinary back garden into a beautifully (and slightly less tidy) place, full of wild flowers and butterflies, where they can see hedgehogs and migrating birds, fox cubs and hummingbird hawk moths...

Our Wild Garden is a stunning picturebook about rewilding and forming a meaningful, rewarding relationship with the natural world at a young age.

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Reviews

Mum and Dad are proud of their neat garden and work hard to keep it tidy and weed free. However, when Poppy and Ali find out about rewilding at school, they dream of a very different garden, full of real wild creatures and lots of plants. With their parents' help, they set about transforming their garden into a magical place full of wild flowers, a haven for bees, butterflies and all manner of creatures.

Bursting with practical tips for rewilding, Our Wild Garden is both inspiring and informative. Inspired by their children, the parents in the story are prepared to change their ways, leading to the creation of a space that is rich in experiences and enjoyment for the whole family, allowing them to reconnect with, and enjoy, all the beauties the natural world has to offer.

When the children talk to their parents about the idea, there is an image of elephants and gazelles on the television screen, cleverly drawing attention to the idea that there is so much wildlife to be explored on our doorstep, if we just take the time and trouble to encourage it to flourish. The ways in which the family rewild the garden are all ideas which anyone reading the book could adopt and there is additional advice at the end of the story to help these be put into action, including some websites to look at.

The lovely illustrations show the family reconnecting with their garden and enjoying it as it transforms throughout each season, bringing them great joy as they share these experiences together. However, the book could also be used in school to inspire rewilding projects on site or in the wider community. The notes at the end of the book remind the reader that the space does not have to be a large one - perhaps inspiring children to get creative with all the odd little places around a school (or the local area) which can often look neglected, but would make a wonderful wild space, or they can think about adding some window boxes, perhaps creating a nature trail… There are so many wonderful projects which could develop from this starting point!

Picture book / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher