Wild

A heart-warming picture book for readers 3-7 years old about moving home, accepting change and connecting with nature

By: Katya Balen, Gill Smith (Illustrator)

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Paperback | 7 May 2026

At a Glance

Format
Paperback

Age
3 - 7

Dimensions(cm)
26.9 x 23.0 x 0.4

Paperback

RRP $16.99

$16.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $4.19 with

In Stock and Ships next day

An uplifting picture book celebrating wildness from a multi-award-winning author and illustrator team, Katya Balen and Gill Smith.

A little girl loves playing in the woods and rejoicing in the wildness all around her. She sees secrets in the stars and stories in the earth. But one day she moves to the city. Surrounded by tall, grey buildings, she feels disconnected and alone. She has lost her wild. Or has she? Maybe she will find wildness where she least expects it...

PRAISE FOR WILD

"A lush, poetic picture book, with words by a Carnegie-winning author." The Guardian

"This delightful book is perfect for kids aged three to seven years. A celebration of nature in all its forms." The Courier

"features stunning artwork from Gill Smith … An uplifting celebration of the power of the natural world, even in the most built-up environments." The Bookseller

About the Author

Katya Balen is an award-winning author of books for children. Her debut novel, The Space We’re In, was highly commended for the Branford Boase Award; October, October won the Yoto Carnegie Medal and the UKLA Book Award; and The Light in Everything was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal. When she’s not writing books, Katya likes to scroll through dog-rescue websites, bake and attempt to keep her house plants alive.

Whilst working initially as a primary teacher, then within community arts and theatre, Gill Smith pursued illustration and achieved an MA with distinction in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. She was shortlisted for the Batsford Illustration prize and a winner of international competition, "Picture This". She illustrated Maria's Island, a retelling of Victoria Hislop's bestselling book, The Island, reimagined for children. She also illustrated Saving the Butterfly, which was shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize.

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