Families who loved Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with the quiet, heavy atmosphere of a home in mourning or observing a parent struggle with deep sadness. This gentle graphic novel follows Poppy, a young girl living with her mother who has become withdrawn after a significant loss. Through a magical encounter in the woods, Poppy discovers a hidden world of nature that helps her reconnect with her surroundings and, eventually, her mother. It is a secular, nature-centric approach to healing that uses the metaphor of the forest's ecosystem to explain the cycles of life and death. Best suited for ages 8 to 12, it provides a safe space to discuss how grief can make people feel invisible and how beauty can coexist with sadness.