Foreword Reviews, Starred
A Junior Library Guild Selection!
February 20, 2019 - Yosemite Conservancy announces release of a new book, Wildheart, The Daring Adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna with artwork by William Goldsmith, a graphic
biography treatment of the extraordinary life of John Muir.How did a boy from Scotland become one of the most influential Americans ever? Why is he so famous that mountains, parks, schools, trails, a glacier, a millipede, and even a planet are named after him?
John Muir was an inventor, writer, mountaineer, amateur botanist and glaciologist, fruit farmer, world traveler, early environmentalist—the list of his interests and accomplishments is lengthy. His most lasting contribution grew out of a keen love of wilderness: his remarkable ability to motivate others to protect the natural world.
“We are part of nature, and its wild heart is part of us.”
Written by Scottish novelist Julie Bertagna and illustrated in a loose, lively style by William Goldsmith, this graphic biography shows that John Muir wasn’t always the bearded sage. He was a hardy boy who valued the outdoors more than he feared his strict father, and he worked hard and backed up his strong opinions with rigorous—often death-defying—research.
Without John Muir’s many daring adventures in Florida, California, Alaska, and South America, there may not have been a world-wide national park movement. Imagine no Grand Canyon National Park, no Yosemite, no Mount Rainier, no Sequoia, among others. When attention to the planet is needed more than ever, the story of John Muir’s life helps us focus on the truth that each individual can make a difference.
“If millions of snowflakes can bond together to create the slow-moving power of a glacier . . . then millions of small actions by each human being, all the little things we do everyday, can surely add up to vast changes over time.” (from the book)
Julie Bertagna is an award-winning author of books and short stories for children and young adults. Her novel Exodus has won various awards including a Friends of the Earth Eco Prize for Creativity and a Santa Monica
Public Library Green Prize for Literature. Julie lives in Glasgow, Scotland. You can find her on Twitter @JulieBertagna. William Goldsmith is a British writer and illustrator based in Moscow, Russian Federation, where he teaches illustration at the British Higher School of Art and Design.
Yosemite Conservancy inspires people to support projects and programs that preserve Yosemite and enrich the visitor experience.
WILDHEART: The Daring Adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna; illustrated by William Goldsmith
Yosemite Conservancy
On sale March 19, 2019
Ages 8 to 12
Hardcover: 978-1930238-94-7
$17.99
128 pages Full color illustrations throughout
Includes timeline and glossary
Source: Yosemite Conservancy
