* "Rich with information and heart, this standout blends STEM learning with community building in a memorable package."
Wonderfully Wild
Rewilding a School and Community
Description
A classroom of children embarks on a quest to grow new trees from the clippings of a fallen willow tree and to rewild their schoolyard in this uplifting picture book “rich with information and heart” (School Library Journal, starred review) loosely based on a true story.
The old willow tree has stood in the schoolyard for as long as anyone can remember. It’s a gathering place, a run-laps-around place, a dream-under place. Until one blustery night when a storm blows it over.
Brokenhearted over the loss of their beloved tree, the students come up with a wonderfully wild idea: to grow new willows! With nature as their classroom, they immerse themselves in the sensory experience of the outdoors as they gather branches and trim clippings. Before long, many new trees begin to take root. But their wonderfully wild ideas don’t stop there. Can the class encourage their community to reconnect with nature and transform their entire schoolyard?
Reviews
"A joyful introduction to rewilding, or restoring ecosystems to their natural states. Hopeful and encouraging."
"The story is well paced and the graceful, digital illustrations are lovely."
"Stremer inspires with this uplifting, based-on-true-events story of a school community that enacts a “wonderfully wild,” plan to resurrect a beloved schoolyard willow....With delicate coloring, attention to critterly detail, and plant-oriented patterns, simple digital renderings capture the gladdening magic of group efforts—and greenery."
