Take a walk on the wild side: Hike

From Hike by Pete Oswald (Walker Books 2020) | Illustration © by Pete Oswald 2020 | Used by permission

“[P]ay attention. Pay attention to books, pay attention to art. Most importantly, pay attention to life. Life experiences [are] where the true stories come from…”

— Pete OswaldIf there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that time - and life - are short.

My Good to Read recommendation this week is Hike by Pete Oswald (Walker Books 2020). It’s a tonic for the soul - and a timely reminder of what life should be about: Quality time with the ones we love.

In a nutshell, the story tells of a father and son ‘witnessing the magic of the wilderness, overcoming challenges and playing a small role in the survival of the forest.’ Loosely based on his childhood in Utah, Oswald describes Hike as deeply personal - and a love letter to nature:

 

“My family and I spent most of our free time in nature. Instead of going to Disneyland or traditional vacations for the summer, we would take a family backpacking trip to Southern Utah. My father is an avid outdoorsman, and his love of wildlife played a huge role in our family. All of our vacations were centred around camping, hiking, exploring [and] adventures. As a child, I always loved it, but it wasn’t until I had children of my own that I realised how influential it was to me.”

- An interview with Pete Oswald

 

I think when an illustrator draws on deeply personal memories, there is a depth - a warmth - to the art that only experience (and fond remembrance) can bring.

An example of this in my own work would be Jesus Loves Me, which, like Oswald’s Hike, stitches together fragments of treasured family memories. 

 

From Jesus Loves Me! by Tim Warnes (Simon & Schuster 2006) | Illustration © 2006 by Tim Warnes

 

Oswald uses his childhood memories (‘the sound of a rushing waterfall, the smell of wildflowers, the sight of an eagle’) to create the story of Hike. He channels them into a picture book that will inspire your family to get out and connect with nature (and perhaps to begin some family traditions of your own).

Hike is a wordless picture book. More accurately, near-wordless, since the words - such as munch, click and miaow - are few and far between. (Like a comic, they are used as sound effects.) The story begins ‘in the cool and quiet early light of morning, [as] a father and child wake up.’ The kid’s room is strewn with an adventurer’s paraphernalia: binoculars, notebooks, maps, camera and compass - clues to the day ahead. The preparations are described - visually - in small vignettes that add a tremendous amount of detail and help convey the child’s building excitement.

 

From Hike by Pete Oswald (Walker Books 2020) | Illustration © by Pete Oswald 2020 | Used by permission

 

Coat on - ZIP!

Boots tied. 

Bobble hat on.

Backpack filled. 

They load their RV and head out of the city into the wild. 

These more minor details contrast with dramatic scenes of nature, culminating in a double-page vista from the mountain top, complete with soaring eagles.

On one level, you have the basic storyline of Hike: a father and child going on an adventure in nature. People hike for various reasons - to connect with nature, to get fresh air and exercise, for the sense of adventure. And all of those are true for the characters in this book. But look closely, and you’ll discover an extra purpose behind their trip - told entirely through the illustrations.

Don’t underestimate wordless (or - in this case - near-wordless) picture books. Despite first impressions, they can have complex narrative structures. They allow observant readers to discover deeper stories hidden below the surface. The deeper narrative of Hike feels like it’s buried below the surface. Yet, in reality, it’s hidden in plain sight - waiting for a child’s enquiring mind to search it out.

Oswald leaves little clues right at the start in the child’s bedroom: 

The bedspread, patterned with trees. 

A family album beside the bed. 

On the table: an open book detailing How to Plant a Tree, a trowel, and a conifer seedling in a protective tube. 

 

From Hike by Pete Oswald (Walker Books 2020) | Illustration © by Pete Oswald 2020 | Used by permission

 

Right at the end, the events come together and the secret’s revealed. Father and son have continued a family tradition - and planted a tree in the wilderness.

All good picture books convey additional (sometimes conflicting) information through the illustrations. These wordless clues are like treasure to a young child - they empower them, enabling them to participate and add to the storytelling. 

 

[N]ot having words allow[s] us to slow down and spend time noticing details in the illustrations. We also learn... how much language is generated when collaborating to make a story from the pictures; quite an irony for a supposedly ‘silent’ picture book. 

Momo Time to Read

 

Oswald reveals that he found learning to read difficult. So it’s perhaps no coincidence that his first solo picture book is wordless. He says, “Ever since I was young, I’ve always loved wordless picture books because I could put my own spin on [them] and make the story very personal. Empowering the reader to make the story personal seems appropriate for this book.”

 

From Hike by Pete Oswald (Walker Books 2020) | Illustration © by Pete Oswald 2020 | Used by permission

 

One of Oswald’s favourite illustrations in Hike shows the father and child standing on a giant log, gazing up in wonder at a majestic waterfall. I have a very similar illustration in my forthcoming book, I Love You Night and Day. It’s included for the same reason as Oswald’s scene: to create an atmosphere of wonder. 

 

From I Love You Night and Day by Amelia Hepworth and Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2022) | Illustration © 2022 by Tim Warnes

 

[It’s] actually the first illustration that I did that helped inspire this whole story. It’s based on a hike that my father and I would take, and we look at this waterfall. It’s kind of a bunch of snippets of those hikes from my early age. … I wanted to tell a story that had … this connection to nature because I think when we get outside, and we get away from our devices, we can connect with nature. We can connect with others, and we can ultimately connect with ourselves. 

- AN INTERVIEW WITH PETE OSWALD

 

Finally, a word about the human characters: with dark skin, they tick the diversity box. And since Hike is a wordless book, the child is not defined as ‘he’ or’ she.’ They have cropped hair, a green backpack and wears a pink beanie with knee-high socks. Making the child gender-neutral was a deliberate - and clever - decision of Oswald’s. 

And what of the man? The publisher’s blurb defines him as ‘father’ (and Oswald built on his own memories of time with his dad). But the wordless format allows us more flexibility - he could, for example, be ‘Uncle’. Most notably though - the mother is absent. A detail which could open up some constructive conversations with older kids - and will allow many children to see their own lives reflected.

 

STORIES WORTH SHARING: Hike by Pete Oswald

Good to Read because:

It’s a love letter to nature that will inspire your children to get out and explore!

Dark-skinned characters, a gender-neutral child and a celebration of the father-child relationship makes this inclusive and an excellent book to diversify your kid’s bookshelf.

The wordless narrative and sequential storytelling will develop your child’s visual literacy, spark conversation and connect you with your kid.

 Good to Read

In celebration of dads

Only My Dad and Me by Alyssa Satin Capucelli, ill. by Tiphanie Beake

Just Like You by Jane Chapman

So Much by Trish Cooke, ill. by Helen Oxenbury

Daddy Hug by Tim Warnes, ill. by Jane Chapman

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From Hike by Pete Oswald (Walker Books 2020) | Illustration © by Pete Oswald 2020 | Used by permission

  

‘As soothing as a walk in the woods’

- New York Times

‘an immersive experience that invites repeated visits.’

- Kirkus Reviews buy uk buy us* I EARN COMMISSION FROM THESE LINKS #AD/AFFSOURCESHike by Pete Oswald (Walker Books 2020) Lets Talk Picture Books: Pete Oswald (Letstalkpicturebooks.com, 13 February 2021) Hike: Pete Oswald (The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Children’s Book) Hike by Pete Oswald (Momo Celebrating Time To Read, 16 January 2021)© 2021 BY TIM WARNES(UNLESS OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTED)****USE OF THIRD PARTY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL FALLS UNDER FAIR USE/FAIR DEALING PRACTICE.