Wild Everywhere - by Katya Balen (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In a poetic, beautifully illustrated story, a child's move to a big city has her mourning her connection with nature until she makes a serendipitous discovery.

When I shout my name into the sky, nobody answers.
The city is lonely and so am I.
I've lost my wild.

In the woods, the girl finds wildness all around her--when she climbs toward the sky and shouts her name into the air, a bird sings back to her. She finds secrets in the stars and stories in the earth. But when her family leaves wildness behind, she sees only towering gray-glass buildings, taller than trees, nothing she can climb. It's not possible to find the stars, and the moon hangs all alone. She feels bereft--until a bird calls to her from the sky, and following its path through the city streets to the river leads to natural sights that take her breath away. With gorgeous prose from Katya Balen and atmospheric artwork from Gill Smith, this tale of the wondrous ability of nature to prevail shows that wildness never leaves those who cherish it.

Review Quotes

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.
--Kirkus Reviews

A lyrical reminder to appreciate small moments in any environment.
--Booklist

About the Author

Katya Balen is a British author of children's literature. Her works include The Space We're In, The Light in Everything, and The Thames and Tide Club. Her novel October, October won the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing. Katya Balen lives in London.

Gill Smith is the acclaimed illustrator of A Way to the Stars by David Almond, Maria's Island by Victoria Hislop, and Saving the Butterfly by Helen Cooper. Gill Smith lives in Liverpool, England.