The Wildest Thing

Illustrated by Emily Winfield Martin
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$19.99 US
RH Childrens Books | Random House Books for Young Readers
24 per carton
On sale Jan 06, 2026 | 9798217023981
Age 3-7 years
Sales rights: World

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of The Wonderful Things You Will Be comes an enchanting picture book about a child finding their "wild" self.

What would you do if you let the wild in?

Eleanor loved wild things.
Every wing and wild sprout.

There was something wild inside of her,
waiting to come out...

With gorgeous illustrations, this book is the ideal addition to any bedtime reading routine or read aloud. The Wildest Thing beautifully expresses a timeless message about little ones unleashing their inner "wild" and encouraging their budding imagination and unique individuality.
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★ "A dreamy homage that’s its own budding classic." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Martin's rhyming text has a gentle cadence that rises and falls as the wonders of Eleanor's day unfold, making The Wildest Thing a delightful dream of creativity, imagination, and getting wild." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"A suitably untamed bedtime sequence winds down, yielding a thoroughly heartening portrait of a child abandoning inhibition." —Publishers Weekly

"Read this to the kid who always has dirt under their fingernails for a calming bedtime read and the kind of blurring of fantasy and reality that preps little ones for sweet dreams." —The Bulletin

"A gorgeous guide to finding the wildness within." —Booklist

"An excellent read-aloud for young children at home with a parent or older sibling, this book inspires a love of nature and a healthy disregard for all that is prim and proper." —School Library Journal

Classroom Activities for The Wildest Thing

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

About

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of The Wonderful Things You Will Be comes an enchanting picture book about a child finding their "wild" self.

What would you do if you let the wild in?

Eleanor loved wild things.
Every wing and wild sprout.

There was something wild inside of her,
waiting to come out...

With gorgeous illustrations, this book is the ideal addition to any bedtime reading routine or read aloud. The Wildest Thing beautifully expresses a timeless message about little ones unleashing their inner "wild" and encouraging their budding imagination and unique individuality.

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

Praise

★ "A dreamy homage that’s its own budding classic." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Martin's rhyming text has a gentle cadence that rises and falls as the wonders of Eleanor's day unfold, making The Wildest Thing a delightful dream of creativity, imagination, and getting wild." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"A suitably untamed bedtime sequence winds down, yielding a thoroughly heartening portrait of a child abandoning inhibition." —Publishers Weekly

"Read this to the kid who always has dirt under their fingernails for a calming bedtime read and the kind of blurring of fantasy and reality that preps little ones for sweet dreams." —The Bulletin

"A gorgeous guide to finding the wildness within." —Booklist

"An excellent read-aloud for young children at home with a parent or older sibling, this book inspires a love of nature and a healthy disregard for all that is prim and proper." —School Library Journal

Guides

Classroom Activities for The Wildest Thing

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)