Wildful

With her mother consumed with grief after the death of Gran, Poppy spends much of her time glued to her phone whilst walking Pepper, her dog. When Pepper takes off in pursuit of a fox, Poppy chases after him and finds herself in a forest clearing where she meets a boy named Rob. Intrigued by the wildness of the woods and Rob’s love of nature, Poppy returns again and again, starting to notice, observe and appreciate the beauties of the natural world. She longs to share her discoveries with her mother who remains trapped in her sorrow until something happens…

‘Wildful’ is both beautiful and absorbing, a real celebration of the healing power of nature and its beauties. Largely wordless, it is a book to linger over and create many layers of narrative as Poppy’s eyes are opened to the world around her. Her blooming curiosity and wonder are infectious, encouraging readers to pause and reflect and, hopefully, to so this more in their own lives.

Tempted outside by her daughter’s example, Poppy’s mother finds solace in nature, embracing life and all its wonders whilst remembering her own mother, rather than focusing on her loss. Nature in all its therapeutic wonder is celebrated here as it not only is shown ‘healing’ Poppy’s mum, but is the founder of a new friendship between Poppy and Rob.

The artwork is stunning. With so few words, the pictures really carry the story, showing the growing wonder and excitement on Poppy’s face as she begins to take in the details of the world around her. And those details are there for the reader to revel in as well- droplets of rain captured on a spider’s web, the intricacies of a flower, the emerging face of a badger from its sett. There is so many moments of beauty here!

In the hands of the right teacher, the book would be the perfect catalyst for learning, allowing children to develop writing through observing the world for themselves as well as through the eyes of the story. It is also sure to inspire budding artists! It is a wonderful book, one to be shared, lingered over and returned to again and again!

Wildful

Kengo Kurimoto

Pushkin Press ISBN: 978-1782694892

Moon Bear

Every night, when mummy calls it’s time for bed, Ettie goes through her bedtime routine, enjoying a bath and story time. But then the light goes out, leaving Ettie hunched under the bedclothes with her torch switched on because she is afraid of the dark. But, one night, the moon’s shimmering lights streams through a crack in the curtains. Curious, Ettie reaches out to touch it and is amazed to find that it responds to her touch. Dancing round the round, ‘painting’ in the air with the light, Ettie notices the moon smiling down at her. She joins the dots of the stars to create a bear who bursts into life and the two play together. When Ettie learns that the moon bear is afraid of light, just as she (Ettie) is afraid of the dark, they help each other to overcome their fears.

I love a wordless picture book and the wonderful reading adventure they offer children who can create, embellish, alter and retell the story every time they open the book. ‘Moon Bear’ is almost wordless- the phrase ‘Time for bed, Ettie’ at the beginning transforms to ‘Time for bed, mummy’ at the end, emphasising the change in Ettie’s feelings for the dark- but other than this, the reader is free to interpret the illustrations to tell the story, noticing and developing details which please them most.

Although very different, for me, the story has echoes of ‘The Snowman’. A wonderfully imaginative adventure with two new friends exploring the child’s world and then the sadness of a parting. However, in this story, Ettie realises that Moon Bear is just as afraid of the light as Ettie is of the dark and she gently helps him to understand that he has nothing to fear. Although Moon Bear has disappeared in the morning when Ettie wakes, she knows he will return with the night, leaving the story full of excited expectation and joy.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and children are sure to notice all the little details which hint that Ettie is a bear fan before Moon Bear appears- her toy, her drawings, the book she shares with her mum- perhaps encouraging them to create their own imaginative solutions to help them confront their own fears. The story is perfect for adults to use as an opening for discussions about fears, developing empathy and understanding whilst offering reassurance. There are many pictures to linger over and discuss how Ettie and Moon Bear are feeling and exploring their emotions. The final picture of Ettie and Moon Bear on the very last page offers the perfect starting point for children to create their own stories about these two friends.

Gorgeous!

Moon Bear

Clare Helen Welsh, illustrated by Carolina T Godina

Frances Lincoln ISBN: 978-0711291003

You can read my review of ‘Sunny Side Up!’ here, ‘I Love You More’ here, ‘Never Ever Ever Ask a Pirate to a Party’ here and ‘Slime? It’s Not Mine!’ here.