Background
Margaret Wild was born in 1948 in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa but later immigrated to Australia. Her father was a bank manager.
Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
The Australian National University where Margaret Wild studied.
Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis which Margaret Wild received in 2004.
(When her husband, James, dies suddenly, Jessie neglects W...)
When her husband, James, dies suddenly, Jessie neglects William, James's beloved cat. Then she realizes how lean and mean William has become without affection and that she needs his friendship, too.
https://www.amazon.com/Very-Best-Friends-Margaret-Wild/dp/0152000771
1990
(Ellie and her grandma are very close, but grandma more an...)
Ellie and her grandma are very close, but grandma more and more often forgets things, and she and Ellie worry that Gran will forget Ellie, so they devise a way to help her remember.
https://www.amazon.com/Remember-Me-Margaret-Wild/dp/0807569348
1990
(A little boy with separated parents counts the hours, min...)
A little boy with separated parents counts the hours, minutes, and seconds until Sunday when he will see his father and be able to tell him about all the things that happened to him during the week.
https://www.amazon.com/Sams-Sunday-Dad-Margaret-Wild/dp/0947241299
1992
(Left homeless and poor in a big city, Zac and his mother,...)
Left homeless and poor in a big city, Zac and his mother, Mandy, find shelter in a big rocket in the center of the city's park - that is until Mandy returns with news of a room of their own.
https://www.amazon.com/Space-Travellers-Margaret-Wild/dp/0590455982
1992
(When Kate runs past her family twice on the beach and sti...)
When Kate runs past her family twice on the beach and still cannot find them because to her all the beach umbrellas look-alike, mom and dad realize that Kate might need glasses.
https://www.amazon.com/All-Better-See-Margaret-Wild/dp/0807502847
1992
(Two children compare their granny with others. Some grann...)
Two children compare their granny with others. Some grannies have thin legs, fat knees, crinkly eyes, or big soft laps. Their granny has a wobbly bottom and wears an old red sweater that was grandpa's. She has a style all her own - and to the children who love her, this granny is perfect.
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Granny-Margaret-Wild/dp/0395883954
1993
(Old Pig and Granddaughter have lived together for a long,...)
Old Pig and Granddaughter have lived together for a long, long time. They share everything, including the chores, until the day when Old Pig does not get up as usual for breakfast. Calmly she pays her bills and puts her affairs in order. Then she takes Granddaughter on a last, long walk - looking and listening, smelling, and tasting. Old Pig and Granddaughter say goodbye to each other in the best way they know.
https://www.amazon.com/Old-Pig-Margaret-Wild/dp/176029389X
1995
(On the first day of school Alex hopes she will make a fri...)
On the first day of school Alex hopes she will make a friend, Salma wants to learn to write now, Stephen is a little bit scared, and Penny is as wriggly as a tadpole. But what is that puppy dog, Josh, up to?
https://www.amazon.com/First-Day-Margaret-Wild/dp/1760293911
1998
(When Tom arrives for his first day of kindergarten, he re...)
When Tom arrives for his first day of kindergarten, he realizes that he doesn't want his parents to leave, so daddy, mommy, and baby stay with him and have a rollicking good time, but when they want to come back, Tom's teacher tells them kindergarten is only for children.
https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Goes-Kindergarten-Margaret-Wild/dp/0807580120
1999
(Biff and Buff are always carried around in Mr. Pockets' c...)
Biff and Buff are always carried around in Mr. Pockets' coat pockets, but when Biff finds himself lost in a hole that has become too big, it is up to Mr. Pockets to locate him and reassure him that all is well once more.
https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Dogs-Margaret-Wild/dp/0439239737
2001
(She is Jinx. Jinx doesn't start out as Jinx - at first, s...)
She is Jinx. Jinx doesn't start out as Jinx - at first, she's dull, safe, boring Jen. Jen who always hands her homework in on time, Jen who never stays out late, Jen who can always be counted on. When Jen's first boyfriend dies, she thinks she's unlucky until her second boyfriend dies too. Jen is Jinx now - a curse, a promise of bad luck, a girl who's angry and alone, who can't get close to people anymore. Can Jinx find her way back to being Jen again?
https://www.amazon.com/Jinx-Margaret-Wild/dp/0689865414
2001
(One day when Baby Hippo woke up, he was in such a rush to...)
One day when Baby Hippo woke up, he was in such a rush to go and play that he forgot to give his mama a kiss. As Baby Hippo wanders through the jungle, he hears "Kiss, kiss!" from all the other animal parents and babies. Finally, he realizes what it is he forgot to do.
https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Margaret-Wild/dp/0689862792
2003
(Gabe is the best looking guy in school - that's why his f...)
Gabe is the best looking guy in school - that's why his friends send him to get girls to their party. Helen is not much to look at - that's why her friends want her to come along. But Helen gets under Gabe's skin in a way no other girl has. It was one night. One night with lasting consequences. Now Helen has to decide if she wants to keep the baby - and if she should tell Gabe, who hasn't spoken to her since their one night together.
https://www.amazon.com/One-Night-Margaret-Wild/dp/0375829202
2003
(When little Piglet loses her mama, all the other animal m...)
When little Piglet loses her mama, all the other animal mothers offer their assistance, but nothing is better than making daisy chains and rolling in the mud with your own mama.
https://www.amazon.com/Piglet-Mama-Margaret-Wild/dp/0810958694
2005
(In a strange and sinister world, a boy must face his fear...)
In a strange and sinister world, a boy must face his fears alone. Ben is hiding from the "woolvs." He has no family left, and he is running out of food and water. His only ally, Missus Radinski, doesn't believe the woolvs exist - until it is too late. Alone, Ben must go out into the streets and confront his fears.
https://www.amazon.com/Woolvs-Sitee-Margaret-Wild/dp/1590785002
2006
(The little dogs, Biff and Buff, love riding in the pocket...)
The little dogs, Biff and Buff, love riding in the pockets of Mr. Pockets' very big coat. But while they're on holiday by the sea, something dreadful happens to the beloved coat. Will Biff and Buff ever be pocket dogs again?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pocket-Dogs-Holiday-Margaret-Wild/dp/1862917388
2008
(Puffling is a baby - small, white, and very hungry. Every...)
Puffling is a baby - small, white, and very hungry. Every day he waits in the burrow while his parents, Big Stripy Beak and Long Black Feather hunt for food. As he grows, Puffling dreams of the day when he will leave his nest and fly away - but he isn't ready yet, not until he's tall and brave enough to fend for himself. Every day Puffling asks his parents, but every day they say he must wait until he has grown bigger. Will he ever be ready to head out into the world on his own? This story about how love makes us strong, brave, and happy, too, is perfect for so many milestones: first times with babysitters, first days of school, and even graduation.
https://www.amazon.com/Puffling-Margaret-Wild/dp/0312565704
2009
(All the animals belong to the Bush Book Club and love to ...)
All the animals belong to the Bush Book Club and love to read. All except Bilby. He can't stay still long enough to read a book, not when there are somersaults and cartwheels and handstands to do. What would it take for Bilby to slow down and look into a book?
https://www.amazon.com.au/Bush-Book-Club-Margaret-Wild/dp/1742990142
2014
(Bogtrotter is a story about the brilliant things that can...)
Bogtrotter is a story about the brilliant things that can happen when we try new things and challenge ourselves. Every morning Bogtrotter runs across the bog, up the bog, down the bog, and around the bog until it's time to go home. Sometimes he wishes things would change, but he doesn't know how or what or why. Until one afternoon, when he picks a flower for the first time in his life.
https://www.amazon.com/Bogtrotter-Margaret-Wild/dp/140636195X
2015
(Barnaby is a pavement artist. This morning he started dra...)
Barnaby is a pavement artist. This morning he started drawing me. I have a head that can think, eyes that can see, ears that can hear, and legs that can run. Best of all, I have a heart that can feel. Thank you, Barnaby. In this book, the author compresses epic themes into a poetic, poignant story, vividly brought to life by Mandy Ord's distinctive, dynamic art.
https://www.amazon.com/Chalk-Boy/dp/1760630683
2018
Margaret Wild was born in 1948 in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa but later immigrated to Australia. Her father was a bank manager.
Margaret Wild attended local state schools in Johannesburg. Later she graduated from the Australian National University.
Margaret Wild, before becoming a full-time author, was a journalist in newspapers and magazines, and she worked as a book editor in children's publishing for sixteen years, responsible for managing and commissioning a large range of titles. Wild began writing for children after she had her own. She fell in love with picture books that she was reading daily. The open and imaginative world found in the pages of these books enticed her creative spirit.
The themes of her books sometimes address issues outside the norm of kids' literature: death and dying, grief, divorce, aging, and fears of being lost, overwhelmed and bullied. Her realistic portrayals of these difficult subjects were widely praised by critics and reviewers. Far from being morbid, Wild's other books are jubilant celebrations of grandmothers, babies, and childhood. Even her somber books hold the message that children can understand and cope with a sad or scary situation.
The Very Best of Friends tells in simple, poignant language and with wonderfully vivid watercolors the story of an Australian farm couple, James and Jessie, and their cat, William. This is a story about relationships, love and loss, survival, and recovery. The poignant tale is superbly told by the author who achieves an enviable balance of detail and simplicity.
The theme of death coupled with the hopeful message of moving on from grief while not forgetting the loved one informs two of Wild's popular books - Old Pig and Toby. Jenny Angel also deals with the loss of a family member. It is a tender, loving, beautiful story, splendidly reinforced by Anne Spudvilas' sensitive paintings.
Optimism and exuberance, however, are not out of place in Wild's works. In Our Granny, she offers a celebration of well-loved grandmothers of all colors, shapes, and sizes, from all over the world.
Wild's other books tackle subjects such as divorce and visitation (Sam's Sunday Dad), coping with homelessness (Space Travellers), a child's need for glasses (All the Better to See You With!), the aging of a relative (Remember Me and Big Cat Dreaming), and the rite of passage every child must face, the first day of school (First Day and Tom Goes to Kindergarten).
With 2001's Jinx Wild steps away from the world of children's books and into a novel for teen readers. Wild wrote: "Jinx was a new challenge for me - all those words! - but I also have a feeling of freedom as I can write about subjects that are not suitable for younger children." Told in the unconventional style of a series of interrelated poems, Jinx relates the story of Jen, a girl who considers herself a jinx and a source of bad luck for those around her. Jinx emerges as a subtly wrought, deeply affecting story dealing with friendship and familial and romantic love. Wild's other verse novel is One Night. These two books investigate the trials and anxieties faced by teenagers coping with school, relationships, and growing up.
(When Tom arrives for his first day of kindergarten, he re...)
1999(A little boy with separated parents counts the hours, min...)
1992(Left homeless and poor in a big city, Zac and his mother,...)
1992(Ellie and her grandma are very close, but grandma more an...)
1990(When little Piglet loses her mama, all the other animal m...)
2005(When Kate runs past her family twice on the beach and sti...)
1992(On the first day of school Alex hopes she will make a fri...)
1998(When a little boy asks what Big Cat and Little Dog and hi...)
1996(Sara and her younger brothers all have their own ways of ...)
1993(Bogtrotter is a story about the brilliant things that can...)
2015(One day when Baby Hippo woke up, he was in such a rush to...)
2003(Jenny believes that she is a guardian angel who, by watch...)
1999(Gabe is the best looking guy in school - that's why his f...)
2003(When her husband, James, dies suddenly, Jessie neglects W...)
1990(Old Pig and Granddaughter have lived together for a long,...)
1995(The little dogs, Biff and Buff, love riding in the pocket...)
2008(In a strange and sinister world, a boy must face his fear...)
2006(All the animals belong to the Bush Book Club and love to ...)
2014(Puffling is a baby - small, white, and very hungry. Every...)
2009(Biff and Buff are always carried around in Mr. Pockets' c...)
2001(Two children compare their granny with others. Some grann...)
1993(Barnaby is a pavement artist. This morning he started dra...)
2018(She is Jinx. Jinx doesn't start out as Jinx - at first, s...)
2001Amongst Wild's favorite books were Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner. These two books shaped her as a remarkable children's author.
If she does not write, she describes herself as being restless, unhappy, and dissatisfied.
Quotations:
"As I have a baby grandson, I am seeing the world through his eyes, so I am still enjoying writing books for the very young as well."
"When I worked for a wage, my writing was done in snatches, or at night when I wasn't too tired. Once I turned to writing full-time I felt ready to attempt much longer books for older readers."
"I work at a desk in my bedroom, because from my window I can see two bridges, reflections in the bay, sparrows on the telephone line, and city buildings in the distance. I like having my bed so close-by - if I get stuck when I'm writing, I simply have a bit of a lie-down, and somehow the problems sort themselves out."
"On the wall near my desk, I have one of Ron Brooks' beautiful, tender pictures from Rosie and Tortoise. I love looking at it, and it inspires me to keep on trying to write better."
"Although I mainly work on computer, I always carry a small notebook wherever I go. I jot down ideas, images, bits of stories. I hardly ever refer back to my notebooks, but writing things down helps to fix them in my memory."
"I feel very lucky to be a writer. As long as I have pen and paper, I can write anywhere, anytime - for me, it's the best job in the world."
Margaret Wild is married. She and her husband have two children.