posted on 08 Jun 2025

Wild by Katya Balen, illustrated by Gill Smith

We last met the creative combination of author, Katya Balen and illustrator, Gill Smith back in March of this year when we reviewed their book, The Appletree Animal Agency (you can read that review here). 

Now they are back with Wild, another story rooted in a love of the natural world. A young girl roams the wild woods and revels in the wildlife – the flora and the fauna – she finds there. Nature is her book:

“I see secrets in the stars and stories in the earth.”

But one day, the girl and her family have to pack their car and head for the city, leaving the wildness behind. The girl stands in front of the towering glass, metal and concrete buildings and the greyness of her surroundings oppress her:

“When I shout my name into the sky, nobody answers. The city is lonely and so am I.”

But even worse than that:

“I’ve lost my wild.”

But one day, a bright and colourful visitor arrives – a bird swooping and looping around her. She follows and discovers that there’s life in the city after all and places where wild nature and all its diverse little creatures insist on showing themselves. In the cracks of pavements, under stones and in forgotten pockets, down tangled paths, all sorts of insects and birds thrive.

And the girl learns an important lesson – nature persists everywhere if you just look for it and you’re open. In that case:

“There is wildness in me. It never left.”

The uplifting message of the story is given full life by the wonderful illustrative work of artist, Gill Smith. Her use of colour gives the book an almost musical tone – vivid bright colours for the girl and her wild natural settings and sombre grey for the city scenes. The illustrations on every page are big and generous, often presenting as double-page spreads. It’s a feast.

The message here isn’t hidden or complex – we are all creatures of nature and however much we build towns and cities, that nature is never far away. You don’t have to go great distances or spend lots of money to enjoy the natural world – it’s all around you and there’s nothing to stop you exploring.

Available from Walker Books, you will be able to get a copy from your local independent bookshop – who will, of course, be happy to order you a copy if they don’t have it on their shelves.

 

Terry Potter

June 2025