Author(s): Barbara Kingsolver; Lily Kingsolver; Paul Mirocha (Illustrator)

Science | Picture | Planet Earth | Animals & Nature

Pulitzer Prize winner Barbara Kingsolver and environmental educator Lily Kingsolver collaborate on their first children's book, Coyote's Wild Home.

The book takes us into the woods, meadows, and streams of an Appalachian forest where a girl and a coyote pup each have their first woodland adventures. On their separate journeys into the wilderness with a beloved family member, the intertwined paths of child and coyote will surprise and enchant young readers. With its richly detailed illustrations and gentle biology lessons, this story of two young explorers invites readers to imagine wilderness as a place to be protected, loved, and shared.

Review:

"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

Author Biography: Barbara Kingsolver was trained as a biologist prior to her career as a writer of best-selling novels, poetry, and non-fiction. Her work has earned a devoted readership and major literary awards including the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal. She and her husband live on a farm in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, a home they share with sheep, poultry, and countless wild creatures, including coyotes. This is her first book for children. Lily Kingsolver grew up in southwest Virginia, where the Appalachian Mountains ignited her passion for wild creatures and the places they live. She has shared her love of the wild as a naturalist and educator in state parks and zoos in southwest Virginia and the Space Coast of Florida, where she is currently working on a graduate degree in environmental education. She lives in Florida with her husband, dog, and several reptiles. This is her first published book. Paul Mirocha has decades of experience as a visual designer for print and digital media. He has illustrated previous books by Barbara Kingsolver, including Small Wonder and Prodigal Summer and has illustrated numerous picture books as well, including Amazing Armadillos by Jennifer McKerley and The Bee Tree<, by Diana Cohn and Steve Buchmann. He works as a designer and illustrator in Tucson where he lives with his family: wife Stina, son Leo, and two black cats, surrounded by the Sonoran Desert where coyotes howl.