The Wild Before

Little Hare doesn’t want to be a hero: he doesn’t think of himself as brave at all. But chance – or fate –  means he is the first animal to meet the moon-white calf that is born one winter’s night, and after that, his path is set.

A terrifying disease is attacking the animals and only one human can help them. To get his help, Little Hare must set off on a journey that will take him away forever from the world he has known.

This is a prequel to the Last Wild series, and although it can be read as a stand-alone, readers will probably enjoy it more if they are already familiar with the other novels. Much of the story lingers on Little Hare’s inner journey to being able to take on his mission of spreading the word.

Besides the powerful environmental message, this book would appeal to fans of animal-protagonist adventure books such as Watership Down and the Redwall series. While the story is a sad one, humorous characters, such as a pugnacious robin, lighten the mood and help make this a uniquely enjoyable book.