This delightful book isn’t easy to categorise. Written and illustrated by a Husband and Wife team this surreal, fairytale-like story is full of adventure and excitement – beginning with the abduction of a one year old, twenty five pound, baby boy abducted by a flock of crows! Wildwood is a spellbinding tale full of wonder, danger and magic. It combines the thrill of a secret world and the buzz of modern city life. Original and fresh, yet steeped in classic fantasy, this is a novel that could have only come from the imagination of Colin Meloy, celebrated for his inventive and fantastic storytelling as the lead singer and songwriter of The Decemberists. With dozens of intricate and beautiful illustrations by award-winning artist Carson Ellis. Strangely brilliant and possibly a ‘modern classic’.
You can find out more about this book by clicking here.
Prue McKeel is keeping out of trouble. Or trying to. Then her baby brother is abducted by crows and hauled off to the woods beyond the city. It is up to Prue to bring him back. On her mission she is plunged into the world of Wildwood and there she meets more trouble - and magic - than she ever thought possible.
'This book is like the wild, strange forest it describes. It is full of suspense and danger and frightening things the world has never seen, and once I stepped inside I never wanted to leave' - Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events
‘A beautiful object and a beautiful read. One half fairy tale, one half coming-of-age story, one half unrepentantly gorgeous work of art, this book is overflowing with gifts’ - Jonathan Safran Foer
‘An irresistible, atmospheric adventure - richly imagined and richly rewarding’ - Trenton Lee Stewart, author of The Mysterious Benedict Society series
‘Dark and whimsical, with a true and uncanny sense of otherworldliness, Wildwood is the heir to a great tradition of stories of wild childhood adventure. It snatched me up and carried me off into a world I didn't want to leave’ - Michael Chabon
‘Meloy creates a fully realized fantasy world…. Ellis’s illustrations perfectly capture the original world and contribute to the feel of an instant timeless classic. Further adventures in Wildwood cannot come quickly enough.’ – School Library Journal (starred review)
Hinnie Broom, age 10 'I found the book hardgoing at first but then it got easier. My favourite character was Prue because she didn't go home when things turned bad. My favourite bit was when everyone got home safely.'
Author
About Colin Meloy
Colin Meloy once wrote Ray Bradbury a letter, informing him that he 'considered himself an author too'. He was ten. Since then, Colin has gone on to be the singer and songwriter for the band The Decemberists, where he channels all of his weird ideas into weird songs. This is his first time channelling those ideas into a novel.
As a child, his wife Carson Ellis loved exploring the woods, drawing and nursing wounded animals back to health. As an adult, little has changed - except she is now the acclaimed illustrator of several books for children, including Lemony Snicket's The Composer is Dead, Dillweed's Revenge by Florence Parry Heide, and The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.
Colin and Carson live with their son, Hank, in Portland, Oregon, USA, quite near the Impassable Wilderness. They talk about Wildwood, their inspirations and creative process in this video:
