Dear Wild Child: You Carry Your Home Inside You
Written
by Wallace J. Nichols and Wallace Grayce Nichols
Illustrated
by Drew Beckmeyer
Cameron
+ Company, 2022
This
picture book, “Dear Wild Child: You Carry Your Home Inside You,” was inspired by
a letter a father wrote to comfort his daughter after her childhood home burned
down. She had just left home for college.
The
story is in the father’s voice. It begins “We built your house around you when
you were still growing inside your mother, in the shade of ancient redwood
trees, by a creek, not far from the ocean.”
She
learned to walk there, and listened to sweet lullabies. The wind sang though
the canyon, the trees, and the chimney. The fireplace crackled and kept them
warm.
In
the canyon, she played. She discovered salamanders, swimming holes and fairy
houses. She collected buckets of plums, heart-shaped rocks, and crawdads.
Bright stars peeked through the trees and owls called.
They had sleepovers, holiday gatherings, parties, and weddings in the house. They entertained many visitors and had delicious dinners there.
The house withstood droughts, floods, and earthquakes. She was there to see it all.
Then a lightening storm blew through the canyon. It started a wildfire.
“The
unstoppable flames roared over the ridges and climbed the tall trees,” writes
the father. “The fire took back your house. I wish I could have protected it.
But I couldn’t and I didn’t.”
But he tells his daughter, “Your house served its original purpose. You are healthy and strong because of your home. It grew you.
“The house might be gone, but you will carry your home with you wherever you go. You are my wild child.”
The
colorful illustrations bring life to the book. Their colored marker style
appeals to children.
At
the back of the book, the author Wallace J. Nichols tells about the fire. He
says climate change is making weather less predictable and more extreme. We
will need to become resilient and more creative.
About the Authors
Wallace J. Nichols wrote this picture book with his daughter Wallace Grayce Nichols. Wallace J. Nichols is a marine biologist. He lives in the Slow Coast of Central California.
Wallace Grayce Nichols is a student of sustainable design.
About the Illustrator
Drew Beckmeyer is a fine artist, an illustrator, and an elementary school teacher. He lives in California.
