Wildheart - by Julie Bertagna

About the Book

"This is the story of John Muir's adventurous life, from his wild and playful boyhood in Scotland to his legendary exploits in America, where he became an inventor, a global explorer, and the first modern environmentalist--and even made friends with a president! His heart was always in the outdoors and he aimed to experience all he could. He swung through a windstorm at the top of a tall tree, clilmbed too many mountains to count, and rode an avalanche to its end. Most importantly, though, John Muir told the world about the wonders of nature. His words made a difference and inspired people in many countries to start protecting planet Earth--and they still do"--

Book Synopsis

The exciting life story of John Muir--who sailed to America as a boy and ended up changing the world; told for the first time in a graphic novel.

John Muir led an adventurous life, starting with his wild and playful boyhood in Scotland to his legendary exploits in America, where he became an inventor, a global explorer, and the first modern environmentalist; and even became friends with a president! His heart was always in the outdoors and he aimed to experience all he could. Most importantly, though, John Muir told the world about the wonders of nature. His words made a difference and inspired people in many countries to start protecting planet Earth--and they still do.

Winner! 2019 National Outdoor Book Awards, Children's Category

A Junior Library Guild Selection

2019 Eureka Honor Book from the California Reading Association!

Review Quotes

Wall Street Journal: "Children unfamiliar with the early environmentalist who co-founded the Sierra Club, went camping with Teddy Roosevelt, and helped established national parks at Yosemite and the Grand Canyon will find much to admire in this exuberant, affectionate portrait."

School Library Journal - STARRED Review: "John Muir comes to life in this affectionate graphic format biography of the 19th-century environmentalist, inventor, and adventurer. . . .Goldsmith's charming cartoons, with black line drawings and washes of color, match the exuberant story. . . . the result is a quick but deeply personal glimpse at a legendary figure."

San Francisco Chronicle: "This kid-friendly homage extols the passion and purpose of a green pioneer."

Horn Book Magazine: "This creatively rendered biography-in-comics-format of John Muir (1838-1914) is filled with the naturalist's adventures. . . . Vibrant spreads in the chapter transitions and interludes capture the stunning landscapes in which Muir found his purpose. A timeline, a glossary, sources, and a 'Parks Are for You' page are included among the back matter."

Foreword Reviews - STARRED Review: "Muir's wonder at the natural world translates perfectly. . . . The beauty of Wildheart is that it delivers its message effectively and enjoyably for both children and adults."

Publishers Weekly: "The first-person voice adds a lively immediacy to the spare text, which is extended in Goldsmith's panels, rendered in thick, uncluttered lines washed with watercolors that evoke the natural world that Muir loved so much."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "If a reader's previous introduction to nineteenth-century naturalist and pioneering conservationist John Muir has involved only a gray-bearded man spouting tributes to nature, or President Teddy Roosevelt being shuttled around California on a much-publicized camping trip, this delightful Scottish graphic novel import will restore excitement to the biographical details and foster appreciation for this eccentric spokesperson for the Great Outdoors." Recommended.

About the Author

Julie Bertagna is an award-winning author of acclaimed books and short stories for children and young adults. Exodus has won various awards including a Friends of the Earth Eco Prize for Creativity and a Santa Monica Public Library Green Prize for Literature. Awards in her native Scotland include the Children's Book of the Year and the Catalyst Book Prize. Julie lives in Glasgow, Scotland. William Goldsmith is a British writer and illustrator. His work has appeared in a range of publications and exhibitions in the United Kingdom and overseas. His other graphic novels are The Bind and Vignettes of Ystov. William currently lives in London.