This book is pitched as a middle grade graphic novel reminiscent of The Secret Garden. I would more accurately pitch this as a picture book without words (mostly) with a very subtle hint of The Secret Garden. For what it was, I think this was a beautiful depiction of grief, finding joy, and noticing the small, beautiful things we often miss in life - taking time to "stop and smell the roses," if you will. While the plot was lacking and the story was simplistic, I think there was a lot of hidden depth in the artwork and the story. A last note is that this is one of those books that the reader would understand most by reading the synopsis before going into it, as there are few words. The plot is really fleshed out more in the description.

Minor Triggers: Grief, Death of Loved One

I am honestly not a fan of graphic novels, but this one was very well done! While it is categorized as a graphic novel, it is more of a wordless picture book to me. The pictures in the book tell more of a story than the words do, making it an interesting change to what I typically read. I found the illustrations to be wonderful, but I do wish that I could have seen them in color, I think that would add so much more to the story. Highly recommend.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Wildful is a beautifully illustrated exploration of finding joy despite grief. The art really shines in the nature scenes - the birds, botanical close-ups, rain on spiderwebs, etc, were rendered in a way that is immersive for the reader. I enjoyed that most of this graphic novel has very little text, causing the reader to really focus on how the story is told through the artwork. My main critique is that the lettering/font choice doesn't match the artwork/energy of the novel, and I wish there was more detailing in the human faces. The art style is absolutely gorgeous and gave me nostalgia for the older monochrome copic style. Overall, this was such a sweet gem of a graphic novel, and I can't wait to make it a resource at my library.

cw. grief, death of loved one

Wildful is a slow, beautiful story. Dialogue is barely there, forcing the reader to focus on the monochromatic images to interpret the story. The illustrations are calming as you take in the scenes of nature and the beauty that it holds.

While the scant dialogue might not be for everyone, it really helps sell the story for me. That sadness and loss at what to say to try and comfort someone while you are also grieving and trying to continue to live your life as best as you can. The lack of dialogue, made what was there more powerful, especially at the end. It left me with that bittersweet feeling as they were sad and honoring who they lost, while recognizing what they need to do. It was beautiful.

The story this held was beautiful. Reconnecting with nature and trying to find joy in the small things again after the loss of a loved one was exceptional throughout this story.

If you like stories about healing and trying to move on, give this one a chance. Wildful has such a subtle beauty to it that I think a lot of people would end up enjoying.

The magic of this book creeps up on you slowly. I love that there are so few words and that the drawings say so much. The messages behind the story are complex.

In this spare picture book, reminiscent of The Secret Garden, the illustrator uses only shades of brown and tan. At first I wasn't a fan of using only this drab color to depict the natural world, but when they focus in on a tree budding out, it begins to look like a scientific illustration and the colors made sense to me. Also, the end of the story, when the wild place creates its magic, takes place over night, which also works well with the lack of color. A girl and her dog discover a beautiful natural world near their home, and a boy who loves it. I appreciate the fact that no immediate magic occurs to "fix" her mother's grief over the loss of a loved one, but going out to forest seems to allow the mother to open up more about her saddness.

Wildful
by Kengo Kurimoto
Black and white comic book shows the beauty of nature. It shows the the mystery of nature is readily available to all who listen. The book also shows the nature of grief. Explains that the sadness is only a short period of we see and remember what was important to that person.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

This is a story about a teenage girl discovering the beauty in nature. Not a lot happens; it's a quiet story. I really liked the illustrations of the plants. Part of me kept finding the birds' looks ominous- but it's not that kind of book. I felt kinda bad for the boy at the end. Overall, a cute little story.

A beautiful graphic novel! So much is communicated through so little dialogue. I loved the way the artist depicted sound throughout the novel. There was so much space just to sit and explore the nature that was surrounding the characters. A touching story, beautiful depictions of nature, and a truly enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Groundwood Books for the ARC!

This peaceful and thoughtful meditation on participating in the world, particularly the natural world, was a cozy soothing balm to my frayed wintery self. Reading WILDFUL feels like joining Poppy and Pepper in their journey. Highly recommended.

A great mixture of beautiful illustration and a good story that speaks on aspects of grief, family and depression and how to work through it and find yourself again. I would have liked a little more of a plot, but for someone who enjoys meaningful stories this will be perfect.

“If you listen, really listen, you’ll hear it, something alive, something wild… and it’s joy."

What a beautiful graphic novel this is. It's largely illustrations with very little words, but honestly, it doesn't need them. The story of a young girl discovering the beauty and magic of nature for the first time, and using that newfound discovery to help both herself and her mom come out of a cocoon of grief, is so simple and so complex that it can only be expressed in shared glances and sparkling streams. I loved it!

A gorgeous graphic novel about the joy of discovering nature and the grief of losing a family member. Picture driven, with very little text, but it still tells a thorough and compelling story.

Lighthearted and uplifting, but also emotional. This one brought tears to my eyes.

“If you listen…really listen, you’ll hear it something alive; something wild… and it’s joy”

A beautiful story told through mostly pictures and a few words. It reflects on the healing that the wildness of nature can provide, healing we may not even know we needed. The detail and beauty of this story ,told through the silence, is something I think everyone should experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the E- Arc.

3.5 stars. This graphic novel is a beautiful ode to nature and the magic of the forest, which is revealed to those who take the time to watch and listen. It’s very helpful to read the premise of the book before diving in because the plot is lacking without context. The grayscale illustrations are rich and evocative. The dialogue is scant and has room for improvement. In this story Poppy follows her dog into a wooded area, stumbling across a boy named Rob, secluded animals, and lush vegetation. She attempts to get her moping mother off the couch to take in these natural wonders. Overall, this is a very pleasant story but it would have benefited from a bit more plot and some answers to nagging questions like what’s Rob’s deal? This book is compared to The Secret Garden (and I’d add the setting of Bridge to Terabithia), but the plot just isn’t there. Read this if you’re interested in a quick, visually appealing escape into nature. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy for review.

I can’t remember what the secret garden is about, since I read when I was so little. I was thinking it would be like an Alice in wonderland type thing, but nah. It was still a cute story, even though it didn’t have any magic. It was a cozy little slice of life tale. Reminded me of how it felt to play in the woods as a kid. Not what I was expecting at all, but still a cute book. I would recommend this to all kids and any adults who enjoyed playing outside as a kid. Just don’t expect anything magical to happen like the description says, because nothing magical happens. It’s definitely realism. No magical realism. Just realism. Anyway, cute story, would recommend.

I loved the quote, “there’s more to language than just words”. ♥️

(I have an advance readers copy from NetGalley, this quote is subject to change by the time the book is released but loved it too much to not mention it here) I also loved that there weren’t a lot of words in this book. I love picture books because it lets you use your imagination more instead of reading too much dialogue.

Side note: I didn’t like how the girl was making the same face in pretty much every picture. It was the weirdest looking facial expression to be making all the time. As if she just ate some sour lemons. The pictures in general were lacking something, maybe color? If it had some color to add a more whimsical feel to it (and better facial expressions), I would’ve given this a 5 star rating.

Another side note: It also made me cry because my nana died and I’m still grieving her death every day. If you’re going through the death of a grandmother this will definitely make you cry.

In the end -
Nature is so important. Listen to it. The whole world is alive if you pay attention.