The Wild Outside

Tulip loves being outside, exploring nature and all its beauties. One day, she discovers a nature trail which names all of her favourite flowers, trees and plants. Returning home, Tulip finds a package on her doorstep, containing a wonderful nature guide, offering her more information about plants from around the world. After a rainy day, all the chalked labels and names of the nature trail have been washed away so Tulip tries to replace it, adding question marks where she is unsure about something. On her way home, she notices that someone has added the answers to these and, following a trail of muddy footprints, discovers her mystery helper is her Grandpa.

This glorious book celebrates both the wonders of nature and insatiable curiosity! One of the many joys of being around young children is their boundless interest and Tulip exudes an infectious delight in exploring the world around her.

Perfect for inspiring families to get outside during the summer holidays and learn more about nature, ‘The Wild Outside’ offers a wealth of information about trees and plants, presented in little snippets which are easy to understand and remember. The story could easily be used (at home or at school!) as the starting point for inspiring a nature trail around a garden, park or even along the route of a local walk. The ‘outside’ is not a confined area in the story and Tulip and her mum (it doesn’t specify that this is who it is) are shown exploring everywhere, encouraging children to observe nature wherever they find themselves.

At the end of the book, there are suggestions for activities like leaf and bark rubbing and flower pressing which might encourage children to create a nature book of their own like Tulip’s. A very clear warning is given at the very beginning of the book about never touching or picking flowers etc without an adult’s supervision and at the end, there is further guidance for looking after the environment whilst enjoying yourself!

The illustrations are delightful and eagle-eyed readers are sure to spot the clues as to the identity of Tulip’s mysterious guide to nature as the story progresses. The fact that her grandfather is sharing his knowledge and wisdom with her, inspiring and encouraging Tulip to follow her passion and discover more is a lovely way of valuing relationships between different generations whether family members as in this case or not.

Brilliant for supporting (and expanding!) the curriculum at both KS1 and 2 as well as for enjoying at home, ‘The Wild Outside’ is an inspiring, enjoyable read!

The Wild Outside

Rachel Ip, illustrated by Katie Hickey

Hachette ISBN: 978-1526365217

Blog Tour: Let’s Go Outside!

I was delighted to be asked to be part of the Blog Tour for this lovely book which celebrates the joy of spending time outside! On yesterday’s stop, you can read an interview with author, Ben Lerwill, offering an insight into his writing. The spotlight today is on Marina Ruiz’s fabulous illustrations which accompany Ben Lerwill’s text. She has very kindly shared a sneak peek into her sketchbooks, showing how her images were created.

‘Let’s Go Outside1’ shows the fun that can be had exploring the outdoors and includes discussion prompts and activity ideas at the end for adults and children to enjoy together. Throughout the book, Marina’s joyful illustrations show the excitement and pleasure of imaginative play and being active before cosying up warm at home-until it’s time for the next adventure.

The picture above shows the development of Marina’s work from her initial sketches to the final image. Her work is full of little details which allow children to create their own stories about what might be happening. There is such joy on the children’s faces as they notice things and explore their surroundings.

Marina’s work is full of texture and colour and her love of printmaking is evident in her illustrations. Each spread is delightful, making this a very special book, both in terms of its message and its pictures.

Perfect for sharing at home or at school, ‘Let’s Go Outside’ not only offers a lovely reading experience, but also encourages children to get outside and explore all the adventures the natural world has to offer!

Let’s Go Outside Ben Lerwill, illustrated by Marina Ruiz

Welbeck Publishing ISBN: 978-1913519803

Many thanks to Marina for sharing her wonderful work.

The Blog Tour continues tomorrow with A Page Turner, @KellyLBuxton.