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Run Wild
Get back to nature in this gorgeous sunlit filled book that celebrates the joy of being outdoors.
Hey, you! Sky's blue! a girl shouts as she runs by the window of a boy bent over his digital device. Intrigued, the boy runs out after her, leaving his shoes (and phone) behind, and into a world of sunshine, dewey grass, and warm sand. Filled with the pleasures of being alive in the natural world, Run Wild is an exquisite and kid-friendly reminder of how wonderful life can be beyond doors and screens.
Hey, you! Sky's blue! a girl shouts as she runs by the window of a boy bent over his digital device. Intrigued, the boy runs out after her, leaving his shoes (and phone) behind, and into a world of sunshine, dewey grass, and warm sand. Filled with the pleasures of being alive in the natural world, Run Wild is an exquisite and kid-friendly reminder of how wonderful life can be beyond doors and screens.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
6 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
David Covell
6 books8 followersDavid Covell grew up in the wilds of Maine and only came home when it was time for dinner. After earning a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh he moved to Burlington, Vermont where his work for Burton Snowboards was instrumental in creating the design culture of alternative sports. Today, he works as a graphic designer in New York City, and his work has been seen around the world and in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Run Wild is David’s third picture book – one he hopes will inspire everyone to get outside and explore!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
November 20, 2018
What an inspiring children's book! "Run Wild" follows two kids who set out to explore, running through fields and woods and getting muddy and even diving into a lake to cool off.
The illustrations were colorful and cute, and the book moved along quickly with its rhymes. I also liked the author's description on the dust jacket: "David Covell grew up in the wilds of Maine and only came home when it was time for dinner ... This is David's third picture book -- one that he hopes will inspire everyone to get outside and explore. Just be home by dinnertime."
"Run Wild" was featured in The New York Times' annual list of the best illustrated children's books. Highly recommended.
The illustrations were colorful and cute, and the book moved along quickly with its rhymes. I also liked the author's description on the dust jacket: "David Covell grew up in the wilds of Maine and only came home when it was time for dinner ... This is David's third picture book -- one that he hopes will inspire everyone to get outside and explore. Just be home by dinnertime."
"Run Wild" was featured in The New York Times' annual list of the best illustrated children's books. Highly recommended.
July 2, 2019
Author/illustrator David Covell offers a poetic tribute to the joy of running wild through the outdoors in this, the third picture-book he has produced. Minimal but poetic text - "Hey, You, Sky's blue! (forget your shoes) OPEN that door and... Sprout, you're out!" - is paired with bold illustrations, which look to be done in watercolor. From exploring the cool darkness of the forest to experiencing the hot sand at the shore, there are many pleasures to encounter in this lovely summer-time idyll...
Run Wild is my first book from Covell, and struck me as a particularly personal work, one influenced by its creator's own boyhood days in the wild of Maine. The text is interesting, in that it employs rhyme in an irregular way, but it was the artwork here that was the chief appeal for me. It has a wild, unstructured feeling, and is full of a sense of movement that works very well with the narrative. Recommended to anyone looking for new picture-books about the joy of getting out into the outdoors, especially during the summer.
Run Wild is my first book from Covell, and struck me as a particularly personal work, one influenced by its creator's own boyhood days in the wild of Maine. The text is interesting, in that it employs rhyme in an irregular way, but it was the artwork here that was the chief appeal for me. It has a wild, unstructured feeling, and is full of a sense of movement that works very well with the narrative. Recommended to anyone looking for new picture-books about the joy of getting out into the outdoors, especially during the summer.
June 15, 2018
The perfect read-aloud for children of avid runners, with high-energy illustrations to match!
June 23, 2019
I loved the illustrations in this book. The book would be perfect to read to a child and enjoy the illustrations. I read it quickly, but I'd enjoy it again.
May 19, 2024
I liked it! Favorite pages were "Squish. Squirm. Fiddlehead. Fern." and "ugh. slug."
January 23, 2019
“Run Wild” is a fun, adventurous story about two children exploring the great outdoors, from front yards to forests to the beach. They encounter all sorts of animals, plants, and weather, making it a truly cute journey.
As a reader, I loved the way the poetry wove in and out of the illustrations. Everything about this book seemed to flow, as if the story itself was leading you (the reader) through these different landscapes. It truly made me want to put away my phone, my music, my other noisy distractions, and just go for a nice walk - or even play - in nature!
Plus, the illustrations were Gorgeous with a capital G. The watercolors burst across the pages in vibrant strokes. Definitely something you won’t want to miss 🐞
Why do I love this book for kids?
1 - Poetry is cute and easy to understand for younger kids.
2 - The pictures are vibrant and fun to trace with fingers.
3 - The message is golden - go play in nature and be a kid!
As a reader, I loved the way the poetry wove in and out of the illustrations. Everything about this book seemed to flow, as if the story itself was leading you (the reader) through these different landscapes. It truly made me want to put away my phone, my music, my other noisy distractions, and just go for a nice walk - or even play - in nature!
Plus, the illustrations were Gorgeous with a capital G. The watercolors burst across the pages in vibrant strokes. Definitely something you won’t want to miss 🐞
Why do I love this book for kids?
1 - Poetry is cute and easy to understand for younger kids.
2 - The pictures are vibrant and fun to trace with fingers.
3 - The message is golden - go play in nature and be a kid!
July 5, 2018
This gorgeous book crackles with energy and begs to be read aloud. Every page is full of sweeping motion and the call to play. David Covell has written a chant designed to pull children from the gray, dim world of indoor play to the colorful, squishy, wet, muddy, and prickly world of outdoor roaming. In this book, two friends explore woods, puddles, the ocean, and a thunderstorm, complete with twigs to (ouch) poke your bare feet and stumps to trip you up – but they help each other up and keep on playing. A wonderful appreciation of the long, free days of summer.
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December 23, 2019I don’t know if I can give this a rating because it’s just a short quick picture book for small children that I only bought to give to my nephew. I just wanted to read it first. Lol
It’s a good book if you want to encourage your children to love the outdoors and have free and open spirits.
It’s a good book if you want to encourage your children to love the outdoors and have free and open spirits.
March 31, 2021
These illustrations are literally to-die for. I prefer picture books to have more words in them, usually, but this one was so wonderful with the message and the watercolor-style pictures. I adored it.
May 30, 2018
Good summer read-a-loud. Illustrations are abstract and fun.
Summer
Nature/Outdoors
Friends
Summer
Nature/Outdoors
Friends
September 4, 2018
Fun and interesting illustrations. The book is nice and mostly rhymes. It would be a nice read aloud for the spring.
December 27, 2018
I loved the feel of this book. The energy! It made me remember how it feels on the first day of summer!
February 25, 2019
Love the illustrations bursting with energy and play.
November 10, 2019
Covell’s Run Wild is an ode to the wonder and beauty of the wild. Frenetic in its telling, two children leave the flat toned, dark indoors to spend time frolicking through nature, awash with colour, textures and sound. Nothing will stop these two children exploring, and I felt that Covell really captures the essence of endless days spent outside during childhood. Sadly, not a common experience for all children, but one that I am sure many would be inspired to have after reading this book.
Using what appears to be a mixed media of crayon and water colour, Covell is so effective in capturing the movement of the children and the flurry of nature – as well as the passing of time. The choice of crayon, associated with often being found in the hands of a child, is such a clever way of depicting their connection with the natural world.
I really liked that there did not appear to be an ending to this story. The endpapers at the beginning show the children just at the start of their journey, running through the sunlit woods. They then close the story with the journey appearing to carry on through the woods, as day has turned to dusk. A lovely sense of cyclicity, that these children will continue to run wild.
Using what appears to be a mixed media of crayon and water colour, Covell is so effective in capturing the movement of the children and the flurry of nature – as well as the passing of time. The choice of crayon, associated with often being found in the hands of a child, is such a clever way of depicting their connection with the natural world.
I really liked that there did not appear to be an ending to this story. The endpapers at the beginning show the children just at the start of their journey, running through the sunlit woods. They then close the story with the journey appearing to carry on through the woods, as day has turned to dusk. A lovely sense of cyclicity, that these children will continue to run wild.
August 24, 2018
Head outside with this picture book that encourages children to run in nature. Sunshine, fresh air, breezes and dirt are all celebrated here. Jump in the water, talk to worms, run through the woods. The joy of running fast, getting dirty, howling and diving. The book is entirely outdoors and movement through nature, a pelting quick book that is full of natural delights.
The text has organic rhymes embedded in it. It works really well read aloud where the rhymes fall into place in a natural way, encouraging children to be loose and free, just like the text. The illustrations are just as loose as the text suggests. They are filled with trees, mushrooms, birds, caves, water, and children.
A fresh and natural read that encourages children to play outside for the day. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
The text has organic rhymes embedded in it. It works really well read aloud where the rhymes fall into place in a natural way, encouraging children to be loose and free, just like the text. The illustrations are just as loose as the text suggests. They are filled with trees, mushrooms, birds, caves, water, and children.
A fresh and natural read that encourages children to play outside for the day. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
December 12, 2019
A book after my own heart. As with my own childhood, David spent his days out in the wilds exploring, getting dirty, discovering animals, plants, climbing and rolling around in the mud. Much of these adventures are lost now to children or sanitised. Not this one.
Splashed with watercolours and sweeping, racing typography, this poem zips across the pages. It begins with a boy inside, looking out at a friend perhaps who races past. She calls him out and together they run through woods, onto sandy beaches and into the sea then back home in time for dinner.
I loved how there were scrapes here and tumbles and bruises aplenty and how Covell champions playing out in the rain rather than fearing it. This is exuberant, exhilarating outdoor play at its best. No cataloguing flora or fauna here just living in the wild moment.
Splashed with watercolours and sweeping, racing typography, this poem zips across the pages. It begins with a boy inside, looking out at a friend perhaps who races past. She calls him out and together they run through woods, onto sandy beaches and into the sea then back home in time for dinner.
I loved how there were scrapes here and tumbles and bruises aplenty and how Covell champions playing out in the rain rather than fearing it. This is exuberant, exhilarating outdoor play at its best. No cataloguing flora or fauna here just living in the wild moment.
September 19, 2018
The more I think about this book, the more I like it. The watercolors alone are amazing: I enjoyed examining them and admiring the brushstrokes. The rhyming grew on me as well. (How can you not like "squirm" and "worm" in a children's book?) It would be fun to read this with students, and then have them write and illustrate their own stories/pictures about ways to have fun outside.
September 28, 2019
I want to share this with my niece & nephew when we're at the lake this summer. Gorgeous illustrations! On a second read I saw an implication of a deeper meaning as a allegory for life and challenges.
March 25, 2019
Visually stunning, flowing poetry - an encouragement for children to get outside whatever the weather and enjoy all the outdoors has to offer us!
January 18, 2019
Winter is in full force with a series of less-than-desirable weather scenarios playing out across the country for this evening and weekend. Extreme temperatures, snow and rainfall, and high winds figure in the mix. This is, whether you embrace this season or not, an ideal time to dream of a balmy setting.
If we could spend a single day, now, in pure sunny summer perfection, what would we do? Run Wild (Viking, Penguin Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, June 5, 2018) written and illustrated by David Covell gives us one such day. It's a joyous exploration of making the most of every minute.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
If we could spend a single day, now, in pure sunny summer perfection, what would we do? Run Wild (Viking, Penguin Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, June 5, 2018) written and illustrated by David Covell gives us one such day. It's a joyous exploration of making the most of every minute.
My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...
April 23, 2019
Run Wild is a book is about the feeling of freedom from being outside. The words are expressed in a poetic way as the illustration has us follow to kids who run in exploration. They run through fields, woods, past a cave, and into the sea to relax until the sun sets. I found the book really cute, but had ended as fast as the running children and when you’re having a blast (always seems to end too soon). After reading the book, it made me want to go back to my elementary days and hangout in a forest with my old playmates again.
This would be a great way to introduce how stories may be expressed in different ways and then formally go into poetry and show other poems or to just to have a class discussion on what we all enjoy doing outside and write and draw our own mini storyboards!
This would be a great way to introduce how stories may be expressed in different ways and then formally go into poetry and show other poems or to just to have a class discussion on what we all enjoy doing outside and write and draw our own mini storyboards!
July 5, 2018
The busy watercolors here imbue the text with lots of momentum. The illustrations definitely convey a sense of action, the main thrust of which is clearly meant to be get outside and DO and BE ACTIVE and ENJOY in the natural world. The illustrations are reminiscent of Chris Raschka, which is to my mind a good thing and definitely appropriate given the book's energy. Upon reading that the author hails from the wilds of Maine and enjoyed a childhood largely spent outdoors, my appreciation increased since it not only promotes this sort of thing but does so from a perspective of personal experience.
Thanks to Penguin Random House for the review copy.
Thanks to Penguin Random House for the review copy.
April 3, 2018
Beautiful watercolor illustrations--the ocean waves were breathtaking.
Love how the book encourages kids to "run wild" and uses poetry and the illustrations to show them what kids are supposed to do--get dirty, talk to worms, dive in the ocean, etc. For some reason though, I felt that the book ended short. I was loving the vibe and the rhythm, but then it cut off instead of coming to a satisfactory close--that's the feeling that made me give it 4 stars instead of 5. But I bet this gets some conversation around the Caldecott table.
Love how the book encourages kids to "run wild" and uses poetry and the illustrations to show them what kids are supposed to do--get dirty, talk to worms, dive in the ocean, etc. For some reason though, I felt that the book ended short. I was loving the vibe and the rhythm, but then it cut off instead of coming to a satisfactory close--that's the feeling that made me give it 4 stars instead of 5. But I bet this gets some conversation around the Caldecott table.
October 9, 2018
Run Wild by David Covell. PICTURE BOOK. Dial (Penguin Random House LLC), 2018. $18. 9780670014118
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL – ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL – HIGH
Rhyming descriptions of summer days playing in the forest and water. The watercolor illustrations and minimal use of words bring back memories of playing outside barefoot.
It reminds me of vacations to mountains or beaches, children free to roam. Lovely feel to the illustrations, nice solid binding.
M. Kijek, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL – ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL – HIGH
Rhyming descriptions of summer days playing in the forest and water. The watercolor illustrations and minimal use of words bring back memories of playing outside barefoot.
It reminds me of vacations to mountains or beaches, children free to roam. Lovely feel to the illustrations, nice solid binding.
M. Kijek, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
November 19, 2018
I'm sorry I didn't get this book until November. It seems like a perfect summer read aloud. Vibrant, moving illustrations (watercolor?) that begin and end with the endpapers -- a girl running through the trees, past a house, a boy joining her for a run and romp complete with mud, bugs, grass, hot sand, cool ocean. It's a joyful day despite a fall (that two-page spread made me laugh, the only two words being ugh and slug with the boy sprawled on the ground on one page and a slug on the other, both on a white background).
August 2, 2023
Something about this one
really
appealed to me. Fond memories of spending the ENTIRE summer pretty much outdoors, perhaps, or the much-needed message for kids to PUT DOWN THE DAMNED SCREENS AND GO PLAY OUTSIDE!!! but, I LOVED this book.
Sweet illustrations, as well . . .
Sweet illustrations, as well . . .
June 24, 2018
Wonderful message to children and parents...get up and get outside! The great outdoors has so much to offer! David Covell's illustrations are beautiful! With paint and watercolors, he brings out the true beauty of nature and the outdoor world. Run, splash, and slide along on a great adventure when you read this book with a child!
This book has a perfect blend of rhyming words and brilliant splashes of color! A real Caldecott winner, I think!
This book has a perfect blend of rhyming words and brilliant splashes of color! A real Caldecott winner, I think!
December 13, 2018
This is a 3.5 for me. Its message is a lot like Moon--explore, get outside, be free; but I liked Moon better for the illustrations, the text, and the focus to the message. There is a rhythm to the text in this book, but there is so much going on in the illustrations, that the rhythm is lost because you need time to investigate the pictures. Still, a good, fun read encouraging the reader to explore.
October 22, 2020
I really enjoyed this book due to the message of getting children engaged in learning outside the classroom. With its rhythmic text and strong use of watercolour illustrations that cover every page adds to the fast-paced, adventurous nature of the story.
Teaching ideas:
Music- get children involved in looking at the colours and words used within be story to give them an idea of what instruments to use.
Teaching ideas:
Music- get children involved in looking at the colours and words used within be story to give them an idea of what instruments to use.
June 15, 2018
I really really really loved the illustrations in the book! This is a great summer read for the kiddos who love to run wild and an eye opener for those who are afraid to. Who cares if your kids get muddy or run bare foot in the grass?! That's how they learn, explore, and use their imagination! I will be recommending this book ALL summer long!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews