WILDFUL

Encounters with the natural world help a girl and her mother grieve.

With Mum inert with grief over Gran’s death, Poppy passes the time taking her dog, Pepper, for walks. Unlike Poppy, who stares obliviously at her phone, the lively dog is distracted by the sights of the world around him. When Pepper suddenly chases after a fox, Poppy frantically runs after him, ending up in a forest clearing, where she encounters a boy named Rob, whose affinity with nature intrigues her. She returns again and again to the forest, where, with Rob’s guidance, she learns to be still and observant, recognizing deer tracks and understanding the calls of wrens. She even starts noticing the beauty of pockets of nature in town. As Poppy experiences more of the wild (and less of her phone), she longs to show Mum the world she’s discovering. Soft, sepia-toned images executed in ballpoint pen, ink paint, and Photoshop convey the shadowy feel of the forest, inviting readers to envision its quiet. The clean, regular panels, most of them wordless, often present series of scenes that unfold like the frames of a film, asking readers to closely observe details alongside Poppy and Rob. Emotional complexities are soothingly resolved, and readers will be drawn in by the appealing characters, touching narrative, and satisfying ending. Poppy and her mother are cued British Asian; Rob reads white.

A gentle, poignant tale of awakening to the subtle, healing wonders of the wild.