The Wilderness

The Vasylenko family are all very impressive, braving the wild places that surround their home with adventure in their hearts. The only exception is little Oktober; while he dreams of being a great adventurer, he prefers the adventures found in the pages of a book to those out in cold, wet, wild world outside. Try as he might, Oktober can’t get over his fear of the terrible Wilderness, an awful creature that he is certain is lurking just outside.

Eventually, his family convinces him to go on an adventure with them and, though very frightened, Oktober agrees. Along the way, he gets very lost and meets his worst fear: The Wilderness, right in front of him! However, it turns out The Wilderness isn’t so fearsome after all—in fact, it was shy, and just a little afraid! Together, The Wilderness and Oktober make their way back to Oktober’s family, and along the way Oktober begins to see things in a new light—what had seemed terribly frightening before was now full of wonder and beauty.

From that day on, Oktober is able to adventure with his family, but in his own way—in fact, he writes his very own adventure book and calls it ... The Wilderness.

Full of gorgeously creative illustrations and with a wonderful sense of humour, this story about facing your fears and seeing the world from a different perspective is a must-read for all adventurers, young and old, brave and cautious alike.