- Picture Books
- Ages 3–7
- Contemporary
Wild
A lush, expressive picture book about a child raised by animals who cannot be tamed into polite civilisation. It is especially strong for readers who respond to beautiful art, fierce independence, and nature-led storytelling.
- Best for3–7
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Literary
Tone
- Warm
- Whimsical
- Funny
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
A little girl has known nothing but the wild. Bears taught her how to eat, birds taught her how to speak, and foxes taught her how to play. In the forest she is happy, capable, and completely herself. Then one day she meets creatures who look more like her than the animals do, and they decide she needs to be cleaned, dressed, taught, and improved. But the girl is not broken, and the civilised world may have far more to learn from her than she has to learn from it. Emily Hughes' debut picture book is bold, funny, visually rich, and quietly subversive: a celebration of wildness, self-possession, and the idea that children do not always need to be corrected into someone else's idea of normal.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 3–7
- Read aloud · 3–7
- Independent · 6–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Beautiful picture book
- Wild child story
- Nature lovers
- Independent spirits
- Adult favourite
Avoid if
- Needs soft bedtime book
- Wants clear moral lesson
- Prefers traditional behaviour stories
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anxiety and worry
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A funny, joyful read-aloud about a child raised in the wild — a story-time hit with a spirited message about being true to your nature.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the refusal — a girl raised by bears and birds and foxes, completely happy in the forest, found by humans who try to clean and dress and teach her, declining beautifully and going back. The Emily Hughes wild-child picture book where civilisation has more to learn than the child does.
- Adventure and freedom
- Being understood finally
- Animal companions
- Breaking the rules safely
Why parents love it
The Emily Hughes wild-child standard — bold and quietly subversive, visually lush, the celebration of self-possession landing without sermon. Her debut. Strong for any child resistant to being corrected into someone else's idea of normal.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
- Indie gem discovery
About the author & illustrator
Emily Hughes.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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