Wild Child

From the prize-winning young naturalist, this is a dreamy dive into the natural world to thrill wildlife fans of six-plus. – Imogen Russell Williams * The Guardian *Dara speaks very directly to child readers, taking them on a personal journey, introducing them to facts and phenomena that fascinate him and encouraging exploration. His love of lore and language as well as his respect for nature shine through in the poetic text which is carefully integrated with the illustrations. – Ann Lazim * Books for Keeps *Naturalist Dara McAnulty helps children explore local habitats, identifying animals and plants. It’s a treasure trove of facts and projects such as making a bird feeder or terrarium. – Charlotte Heathcote * Daily Express *In this fact-packed guide, beautifully illustrated by Barry Falls, his distinctive and poetic voice leads us from the garden through to rivers, woods and uplands to discover birds, insects and plants. Each section has things to make and the message comes over loud and clear: take care of nature and connect with your inner wild child. Perfect for all the family.” – Sally Morris * Daily Mail *Wild Child is the new title from Dara McAnulty – winner of the 2020 Wainwright Prize for Diary of a Young Naturalist. It’s illustrated by Barry Falls, geared to anyone from the age of six-plus and full of carefully observed insights into the natural world – Eleanor Flegg * The Irish Independent *Every page is beautiful but is packed with information too: anything from a brief history of species classification to the collective nouns for birds. There are even instructions on how to make a terrarium and bird feeder – perfect for all children who long to be wild. – Natalie Bowen * The Independent *Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature is a beautiful mix of storytelling, poetry, science, craft and nature, all gloriously illustrated by Barry Falls. Dara McAnulty and Barry Falls have created a really exciting journey through nature that children will want to read again and again. The multi-faceted approach allows the reader to experience the wonders of nature in a range of ways. A must for any parent, and every classroom. – Donna Burkert * Reading Zone *

Dara McAnulty is a naturalist, conservationist and activist from Northern Ireland. He’s received many awards for his conservation work, including from BBC Springwatch, The Daily Mirror and Birdwatch magazine. He’s written and presented numerous natural history programmes for BBC radio and television, and become an ambassador for the RSPCA, the iWill campaign and the Jane Goodall Institute. Dara is the youngest ever recipient of the RSPB medal for conservation. He lives with his family and Rosie the rescue-greyhound at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in County Down. His first book Diary of a Young Naturalist won the 2020 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing.

Barry Falls grew up in rural Northern Ireland, where he spent a lot of time drawing pictures and writing stories to go with them. When he got to art college in Belfast, he discovered that he might be able to do such a thing for a living, and was very excited. Since then, he’s been working as a commercial illustrator, and picking up multiple awards for the work he does for such clients as The New York Times, American Airlines, The Telegraph, Laurence King Publishing and many more besides. His work has appeared in magazines, books, exhibitions, on textiles and homeware, and in advertising campaigns around the world. His first book, It’s Your World Now! was published in 2019.