Rocco, Hayley. Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough. John Rocco. GP Putnam’s Books for Young Readers, 2024. 978-0-593-61809-7. 48 p. $19.99. Grades K-3. 

Following the life of naturalist Sir David Attenborough, the Roccos created a stunning and informative picture book biography giving some details to Attenborough’s youth and journey towards becoming a world renowned writer, presenter, and advocator of the natural world. Throughout the narrative and illustrations, readers also witness the drastic changes the natural world has seen over the course of one person’s life. Quotes from Attenborough’s film A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and Vision for the Future are sprinkled throughout the book. An author’s note goes into more details about Attenborough’s life, and there is a section titled “Rewilding Our Planet.” The conservation messages are meaningful and provide solutions and means of advocating for the natural world, all with a hopeful tone.

THOUGHTS: Students will enjoy learning about Attenborough’s career through the accessible narrative and beautifully detailed illustrations, which also provide an excellent visualization of how the world has changed over the past century. This book would be a useful tool in both history and natural science lessons.

Picture Book
Biography