Wild

Product Information

Find a way to express all these happy things! You could make a big display with words, drawing and attach other 'best' things. Maybe you could make up a song or dance. Why not talk to the people around you and find out their best bits and tell them yours. It might end up being the best part of your day! Initially, I wanted to do ‘Wild’ in a Victorian setting because it was so repressive and I thought the contrast would be more defined. Talking about it with the art director, Alex, we decided it might be nicer to make it feel more mid-century to be less predictable. I think it was a solid choice. One day, man enters the forest and takes the girl away, believing it isn’t right for a human to be alone – for a human to be living harmoniously amongst the trees, hills and animals – for a human to be ‘wild’. In this beautiful picture book by Hawaiian artist Emily Hughes, we meet a little girl who has known nothing but nature from birth—she was taught to talk by birds, to eat by bears, and to play by foxes. She is unashamedly, irrefutably, irrepressibly wild. That is, until she is snared by some very strange animals that look oddly like her, but they don't talk right, eat right, or play correctly. She's puzzled by their behavior and their insistence on living in these strange concrete structures: there's no green here, no animals, no trees, no rivers. Now she lives in the comfort of civilization. But will civilization get comfortable with her? One day, two creatures who look an awful lot like her, only bigger, appear out of nowhere, put her in the belly of their metal beast, and hurl her into a wholly different new life — a civilized one.

Emily Hughes is an author and illustrator who grew up in Hawaii, and now lives and works in the United Kingdom. Her artwork has been widely exhibited and her picturebooks have received international recognition. In 2015, Emily was chosen to represent the UK in the prestigious Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB). In this beautiful picture book by Hawaiian artist Emily Hughes, we meet a little girl who has known nothing but nature from birth--she was taught to talk by birds, to eat by bears, and to play by foxes. She is unashamedly, irrefutably, irrepressibly wild. That is, until she is snared by some very strange animals that look oddly like her, but they don't talk right, eat right, or play correctly. The story opens with a joyful and carefree little girl native to the woods, raised by the creatures of the whole forest. She is boundlessly, ebulliently wild, and wholly unashamed of her wildness. Oh, they’ll tag this as an eco-centric morality tale, I’m sure. Wild/nature = good, civilization/standardization = bad. That sort of thing. Honestly, I think it has a lot more to say about the inner life of a young child than any overt messagey message about Mother Earth. But there aren’t any rules governing how you use a book, so go on! Use it to talk to kids about nature and the outdoors. Use it to talk about acceptable and non-acceptable behavior and when those rules break down. Use it to discuss tropes most common in European vs. American books, or what makes this book a stand out in its field. Talk about it any old way you like, but make sure you talk about it. A surprisingly lovely little piece that bears similarities to hundreds of pictures books out there, but isn’t really like a single one. One of a kind.

Supplementary Books

The main character's face is very, very expressive. The art in this book is just beautiful...so detailed and wonderful! It's about a little girl somehow abandoned in the forest, who is taken in by the forest creatures and lives a happy, feral life. Until one day she's discovered by some hipster hunters (or, I guess, they caught her in their bear trap? Only her hair was caught but that's pretty harsh, hipsters. Is using a bear trap really sporting? They take her to live with Famed Psychiatrist and his wife (presumably I'm supposed to assume the man is Famed Psychiatrist because he's the one measuring her head and taking notes while the lady just brushes the kid's hair and tries to cut her meat...but technically the lady could be Famed Psychiatrist while her significant other is her assistant. But I don't think I'm supposed to think that) and they just get mad at her for not learning even though it doesn't look like she's been there very long and so when she runs away they're just like "good riddance" which will be hard to explain to the papers but whatever. Famed Psychiatrist's dog and cat escape with our friend as well and live happy lives in harmony with the animals of the forest because this is a magical forest where predator and prey hang out and don't kill each other. I don't know what the bears and foxes eat but that's not the point of this story - the point is, you do you. I really like the magic in this book actually, because I would love to imagine that there are forests that exist where all the animals love each other and never die and people can have plants for hair. Probably somewhere in Europe. Her work is awash with colour, atmosphere, and a stunning visual splendour that will enchant children while indulging their wilder tendencies. Wild is a twenty-first-century answer to Maurice Sendak's children's classic--it has the same inventiveness, groundbreaking art, and unmissable quirkiness. In Emily Hughes’ beautiful picture book we meet a little girl who has known nothing but nature from birth – she was taught to talk by birds, to eat by bears and to play by foxes – she is unashamedly, irrefutably, irrepressibly wild. Dive into the deepest depths of the wilderness to create your very own Wild Fun Book with the girl who has been taught to talk by birds, to eat by bears, and play by foxes. These drawing and colouring activity sheets will help you unleash your unashamedly, irrefutably, irrepressibly wild side!

You could copy the illustrator’s style, repeat the words exactly, or you could make it your own by changing the pictures and words. With that agreed thought, two humans begin the daunting task of ‘curing’ her. Her hair is brushed, she must learn to speak properly, to use a fork neatly, to listen to and obey all of these important rules that have absolutely no importance, sense or use to her. Draw a brain shape, add words around it or in it about why your brain is brilliant, then decorate it!

Emily Hughes: The writing process behind Wild

In her debut picture book, Hughes brings an uncanny humor to her painterly illustrations. Her work is awash with color, atmosphere, and a stunning visual splendor that will enchant children while indulging their wilder tendencies. Wild is a twenty-first-century answer to Maurice Sendak's children's classic—it has the same inventiveness, groundbreaking art, and unmissable quirkiness. Emily:‘Wild’ is a story about a feral girl. Or it’s about people who have a hard time fitting into societal expectations. Home Learning Reader in Residence Reader in Residence Digital Years 3 & 4 Wild Wild By Emily Hughes Published by Flying Eye Books In this beautiful picture book by Emily Hughes, we meet a little girl who has known nothing but nature from birth—she was taught to talk by birds, to eat by bears, and to play by foxes. She is unashamedly, irrefutably, irrepressibly wild. That is, until she is snared by some very strange animals that look oddly like her, but they don't talk right, eat right, or play correctly. She's puzzled by their behavior and their insistence on living in these strange concrete structures: there's no green here, no animals, no trees, no rivers. Now she lives in the comfort of civilization. But will civilization get comfortable with her?