- Wildheart: The Daring Adventures of John Muir by Julie Bertagna
2019 [128p]
Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-930238-94-7 $17.99
Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 5-9
If a reader's previous introduction to nineteenth-century naturalist and pioneering conservationist John Muir has involved only a gray-bearded man spouting tributes to nature, or President Teddy Roosevelt being shuttled around California on a much-publicized camping trip, this delightful Scottish graphic novel import will restore excitement to the biographical details and foster appreciation for this eccentric spokesperson for the Great Outdoors. Goldsmith's relaxed line and loosely brushed watercolors nimbly render Muir as a regular guy: driving his parents nuts as he avoids prescribed lessons, leads his little brother David into scrapes, and sneaks out the window at every chance to revel in the freedom of the outdoors. Father and three oldest children decamp to the United States: a ship journey—hurrah!; new surroundings—hurrah!; hard work—(sigh); opportunity to ditch the family and go wandering—hurrah! There's tramping from Indiana to Cuba to Alaska; there's a faithful dog; and there's Muir's growing awareness that this is all a great treasure that needs to be fiercely defended and broadly promoted. Goldsmith's controlled loopiness and masterful coloring keep chapters and episodes distinct and organized, and close collaboration between text and art encourages readers to make vital connections between critical points of Muir's story. His virtual abandonment of his family mirrors that of his father, his near loss of his dog reflects his near loss [End Page 334] of David, and his early Scripture lessons in human dominion over creation give way to belief in human interconnection with nature. Quotations and paraphrases, which blend seamlessly with Bertagna's first-person narration, are cited in back matter along with a timeline and glossary. EB