One day while Poppy’s out walking Pepper, her dog leads her through a hole in a fence; there she finds a forgotten wild land as well as a new friend - Rob. Poppy’s mother hasn’t been the same since her Gran passed away and barely leaves the couch. Poppy spends more and more time outside with Rob, who teaches her all the magic of the wilderness. Poppy would love to share it with her mom, but her mom barely has enough energy. Can Poppy help get her mom to see the beauty of the world again?

This is such a beautifully illustrated story. It’s almost a silent graphic novel, with few words - and even those words weren’t really spoken much until near the end.

This story is a lot about grief and how to find joy again after the passing of a loved one.

It’s simple, but still powerful. ( )

*reviewed from uncorrected eARC via netgalley**

kid-friendly (recommended for ages 9-12 but all ages would enjoy this), mostly wordless graphic novel about a girl who stumbles into a wildland while chasing her dog.

Absolutely gorgeous visual storytelling--the artwork completely blows me away while at the same time pulling me into the story! I love how Poppy discovers that there's always more to see, in watching the various birds with their specific calls, and how the movements of different wildlife and even the personalities of plants are captured in the black and white illustrations. I also love the quiet ways Poppy shows concern for her depressed/grieving Mum--so skillfully rendered on the page.

Holy hoot owls, batman! This is truly incredible work; I couldn't even wait to finish the story before telling my friend to get her hands on a copy right away.

February 2024 bingo challenge: less than 290 pages, published in February, set in Europe (England). Debut graphic novel. ( )

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review from Edelweiss.)

-- 3.5 stars --

Poppy's mom hasn't been the same since her gran died - she just lies on the couch all day, binge watching tv while the dishes pile up. Poppy misses gran too, but doesn't know how to help her mom out of her depression.

One afternoon, while walking her dog Pepper on the city street, Pepper spots a fox and breaks free, giving chase through a rickety old fence and into the woods beyond. Poppy reluctantly follows, and what she finds is almost miraculous - a world of beauty and wonder, teeming with life, right there in her own neighborhood. She befriends a boy named Rob, who shows her how to track animals. Together, the trio whiles the afternoons away, basking in the brilliance of nature. If only Poppy could convince her mom to join them.

The copy bills WILDFUL as a modern-day SECRET GARDEN, but personally it reminds me more of the Mary Oliver poem, "The Summer Day." (Yes, thee of the oft-quoted "your one wild and precious life." Not that I'm complaining, have more electrifying words been written?):

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?

The story is simple yet lovely; I'd have preferred more of a plot, but I think simplicity (in both storyline and dialog) is the point. The artwork is charming, and of course I especially love Pepper and the nonhuman animals who call the forest their home. Just as Poppy and Rob watch the wildlife, Kurimoto alternates this with panels of Poppy and Rob being observed by nonhuman eyes, which makes for a clever juxtaposition. ( )