Coyote's Wild Home

Making dual picture book debuts, Pulitzer Prize winner Barbara Kingsolver and daughter Lily Kingsolver, an environmental educator, dramatize perspectives from two species in a narrative that spotlights coyote and human experiences of the natural world. Alternating spreads follow Coyote Pup, "old enough for his first hunt" with his aunt, and city girl Diana on a camping excursion with her grandfather. Parallels abound: as Auntie guides Coyote Pup to new scents and glimpses of prey, Diana and Grandpa identify animal tracks; as Coyote Pup pounces unsuccessfully for a mouse, Diana reels in an empty fishhook. In naturalistic paintings layered with untextured landscapes, Mirocha (Amazing Armadillos) foregrounds Auntie and Coyote Pup spying Diana and Grandpa from a safe distance, and pictures affectionate interactions among characters of both species. Measuring people's ideals ("The balance of nature includes everything alive, even us") against the wild creatures' recognition that "their forest keeps shrinking," the creators hint at material debate around humans' responsibility to fellow beings in this compassionate dual portrait. Coyote facts conclude. Ages 6-9. (Oct.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"A blueprint for change and an argument for hope, Coyote's
Wild Home elegantly weaves together the stories of two young woodland
adventurers — a coyote and a child. Wise, timely, and tender, this is a
must-read love letter to the natural world."—Katherine Applegate, Newbery
Medalist, author of The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Ruby, Odder,
Crenshaw, and many others

"A story of two families, one
human, one coyote, and the world we share. There is much to learn here . . .
and much to feel. Lily and Barbara Kingsolver's text and Paul Mirocha's
paintings present an experience of the wild you will carry with you for a long
time."—Marion
Dane Bauer, Newbery Honor winner, author of On My Honor, Sunshine,
The Stuff of Stars, and many others

"This gentle and
generous story guides readers through what bonds humans and animals—and conveys
the respect we owe to the natural world." —Eliot
Schrefer, two-time finalist for the National Book Award in Young People's
Literature, author of The Ape Quartet: Endangered, Threatened, Rescued,
and Orphaned, and many others

"This lushly illustrated book
(with its gorgeous endpapers!) draws us into the separate lives of a playful
coyote pup and a curious child as they each venture into the forest for the
first time. The story deftly raises important questions—Can we adapt to change?
Can we better understand how humans and animals intersect with one another?
—and offers ways to coexist."—Joyce
Sidman, The Robert F. Sibert Medal winner for The Girl Who Drew Butterflies:
How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science, author of Hello, Earth!: Poems
to Our Planet, and many others