The Wild Before - A Review
The Wild Before Written by Piers Torday Illustrated by Thomas Flintham Published by Quercus Children's Books, 2021 The second book to be reviewed in my series of recommended environmental reads for children is Piers Torday’s The Wild Before . If like me you were enthralled by his Last Wild series, this latest addition to the saga is essential reading. A prequel to the initial trilogy, the book narrates the arrival of the pandemic that’s set to ravage the world. The arrival of the legendary Mooncalf has been foretold, and according to a prophecy that's been passed down in a dream from animal to animal, if the calf dies, the Terribleness will come in the form of rising seas, a plague, skies raining down fire, and ultimately the end of everything. It falls on the slight, furry shoulders of Little-Hare to persuade the animals to protect Mooncalf at all costs. It’s a story that weaves folklore, suspense and fine descriptions of nature into a narrative that has at its heart some o...