DAISY REWILDS

A nature-loving kid becomes the most lush garden in the neighborhood.

Daisy, a “born naturalist,” started composting baby food when she was just a year old, and she began sleeping on leaves at age 3. Her later years brought on extensive experimentation. Her greatest idea yet is “rewilding” herself, letting nature literally grow on her. At first, no one notices the moss behind her ears, the ferns on her toes, or the yarrow around her ankles. But soon the “blooming miracle” is apparent to all. Her parents enlist green-thumbed Auntie Betsy’s help. Making a home in the family garden, Daisy thrives under her aunt’s tutelage and care. When a neighbor wishes that the whole block looked like Daisy, she uproots herself and starts planting—just as she’d always planned. McNamara’s latest offers an engaging entry point into conversations about rewilding and biodiversity. Countless plant puns sprout up on each page, adding delightful bits of humor. Kerascoët’s full-color illustrations expertly set the mood, starting with a muted palette that explodes with color—a vibrant reminder of nature’s beauty. Stellar pacing helps readers appreciate the beauty of individual flora and fauna while building vocabulary. Daisy is tan-skinned; one parent is light-skinned, and the other is brown-skinned, as is Auntie Betsy. Backmatter provides more context on rewilding, the process of restoring land to its wild, uncultivated state.

A botanical wonder indeed.