Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature

By Author / Illustrator

Dara McAnulty, Barry Falls

Genre

Environment

Age range(s)

Publisher

Pan Macmillan

ISBN

9781529045321

Format

Hardback

Published

08-07-2021

Synopsis

Join brilliant young naturalist Dara McAnulty - winner of the 2020 Wainwright Prize for his book Diary of a Young Naturalist - on a nature walk and experience the joy of connecting with the natural world on your multi sensory journey.

This beautiful gift book, illustrated in full colour by Barry Falls, is divided into five sections: looking out of the window, venturing out into the garden, walking in the woods, investigating heathland and wandering on the river bank. Dara pauses to tell you about each habitat and provides fantastic facts about the native birds, animals and plants you will find there - including wrens, blackbirds, butterflies, tadpoles, bluebells, bees, hen harriers, otters, dandelions, oak trees and many more.

Each section contains a discovery section where you will have a closer look at natural phenomenon such as metamorphoses and migration, learn about categorization in the animal kingdom or become an expert on the collective nouns for birds. Each section finishes with an activity to do when you get home: plant wild flowers, make a bird feeder, try pond dipping, make a journey stick and build a terrarium. Dara ends the book with advice for young conservationists.

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Reviews

Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature is a beautiful mix of storytelling, poetry, science, craft and nature, all gloriously illustrated by Barry Falls. Dara opens the young readers eyes to what it is to be curious and how wonderful the world around us is. He takes us on a walk with our wild child to look and marvel at the colours, sounds and wonders that lay just beyond our doorsteps. Clearly described crafts help us to support our wildlife, while educational information sates the curious mind with interesting facts. The poetry drawing us to stop and notice the intricate details in all that we experience.

Dara McAnulty and Barry Falls have created a really exciting journey through nature that children will want to read again and again. The multi-faceted approach allows the reader to experience the wonders of nature in a range of ways. A must for any parent, and every classroom.

64 pages / Reviewed by Donna Burkert, teacher