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Thursday, February 17, 2022

Wild Peace, written by Irene Latham and illustrated by Il Sung Na. Roaring Brook Press, Macmillan, Raincoast. 2021. $25.99 ages 3 and up

 


"Peace buzzes a 
sticky-sweet tune

and gnaws on logs 
all afternoon.
"

Amidst the chaos that is a busy, loud family, a young girl works quietly at her art. Even inside, she is an observer. Watching a bright red butterfly's flight from window to a large and lovely wall mural, she sees it disappear through the wall and follows it into the peaceful world outside. Off the two go to the nearby forest where color abounds. 

There they find songbirds, a spider spinning its web, and the beauty of the forest's natural surroundings. Squirrels gather nuts, a brown bear feasts on berries, and the child admires numerous flowers. They travel on, taking in all the sights and sounds. Rock hopping with bunnies, resting on a grassy field, watching a beaver prepare wood for dam-building, and running alongside fish swimming upstream ... what more could she ask? They revel in every small moment for the rest of their day, and return home at sunset. Her siblings are quietly cleaning before all give in to slumber, letting moonlight kiss their foreheads. 

Lovely well-chosen words bring forth the beauty that is nature. Il Sung Na adds his formidable talent for creating memorable artwork to its pages and invites readers into the peace and wonder.                                                                                  


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