Wildheart

Starred review from February 1, 2019

Gr 4-8-John Muir comes to life in this affectionate graphic format biography of the 19th-century environmentalist, inventor, and adventurer. Muir narrates, covering everything from childhood escapades to mountain climbing in Yosemite with President Theodore Roosevelt. Even as a boy, Muir was drawn to the outdoors, scampering across the Scottish countryside with his younger brother, Davie, and when he and his family moved to the United States, his love of nature grew stronger. Muir's travels as an adult throughout the country, seeing its beauty, grandeur, and, at times, danger, became fodder for writing that would inspire generations of readers. Goldsmith's charming cartoons, with black line drawings and washes of color, match the exuberant story. The author often relies on the subject's own words (a list of sources can be found at the end), and the result is a quick but deeply personal glimpse at a legendary figure. The text concludes with information on how Muir's work has spurred many to become lovers of the outdoors and protectors of the planet. VERDICT The graphic format will draw in many readers; a worthy purchase for most libraries, especially those seeking biographies.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2019
In graphic-novel style, this supposed autobiography reveals details of John Muir's life.The table of contents lists nine chapters, intriguingly titled. The light tone continues on the next two pages, showing four loose-limbed, comical figures under the heading "Key Characters." Three of these characters are John: "as a child...a young man...an old man"; the fourth, a dog, bears the label "Stickeen." (More characters do follow.) As John tells his story, the text cleverly intersperses brief quotations from his own writings with phrases that he and the people in his life might reasonably have said. During early childhood in Dunbar, Scotland, the wee lad already relishes the natural world and hates studying indoors. The format accentuates the reactions of John's schoolmaster and his father, as they "THWOP" and "THWACK" John's curly head. When he moves to the United States, Muir's passion for nature accelerates, eventually leading to a "thousand-mile walk" from Indiana to Florida. He assumes the roles of inventor, husband, father, farmer, explorer--and always conservationist, eventually establishing the Sierra Club and lobbying for the first national parks. The art works well for some scenes, such as a harrowing, near-death experience in Alaska. However, it is a major disappointment that Muir's descriptions of overwhelming natural beauty are illustrated with the same comical style and that readers must peruse closing notes to learn which words are Muir's and which are Bertagna's.Readers are treated to Muir's life journey--but, artwise, nothing resembles the source of his inspiration. (chronology, glossary, note on parks) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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February 15, 2019
Grades 3-6 The name John Muir has come to be associated with the majesty of nature, which is fitting for the beloved naturalist, and this graphic biography in a loose, sketchy watercolor style traces the origins of that association, starting with Muir's modest beginnings, in first-person accounts of his travels and experiences. Muir would go on to travel the globe to raise awareness about the importance of conservation, and this inviting volume spends the majority of its time not on encapsulating his life but showcasing his own words and thoughts about the natural world, often in direct quotes. In this celebration of the notable conservationist, Bertagna makes a point of emphasizing the continuing need to care for and protect natural areas. Goldsmith's whimsical, doodle-like artwork, featuring brushy linework and color palettes that shift to match the mood, nicely echoes Bertagna's text. In particular, his fantasy elements nicely underscore Muir's sense of wonder about nature. A glossary and timeline make this laudatory look at a key figure especially classroom-�friendly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
This creatively rendered biography-in-comics, with Muir's imagined voice as narrator, is filled with the naturalist's adventures, from his childhood in Scotland to his pioneering conservation work and formation of America's National Parks. Illustrator Goldsmith's Muir is a feisty character, portrayed in loose pencil sketches with one or two accent colors. Vibrant spreads in the chapter transitions and interludes capture the stunning landscapes in which Muir found his purpose. Timeline. Glos.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2019
This creatively rendered biography-in-comics-format of John Muir (1838-1914) is filled with the naturalist's adventures, from his childhood in Scotland to his pioneering conservation work and formation of America's National Parks. Muir's imagined voice serves as narrator, sometimes in asides at the top of comic panels, sometimes within the panels themselves, reminiscing from his later years about the major events of his impressive life. In the first few chapters, a portrait of an energetic and curious boy emerges: I was sent to school when I was three years old?But the world outside was my real school. As he grows older and his family immigrates to America, we meet the creative inventor and restless traveler, experiencing danger and drama on expeditions to Yosemite and Alaska, and domesticity for a few years as he marries and has children. The final chapters give us Muir the famous gray-bearded conservationist, co-founder of the Sierra Club and friend to Teddy Roosevelt, as he advocates for the National Parks and protection of the environment. I'll follow my heart till the end of my days, and seek the wild spirit of the world. Illustrator Goldsmith's Muir is a feisty character, portrayed in loose pencil sketches with one or two accent colors in the comic panels. 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. danielle j. ford

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)