On top of the charming text, Wild Trails to the Sea boasts artist Elena Skoreyko Wagner’s paper collages. Every page of this picture book is richly filled with warm colours and varying textures, and intimate attention is paid to detail, such as a coffee mug on a window ledge or a solo rainboot lying scattered on the floor.

Each scrap of paper plays a part in how the visuals pop, and, regardless of whether it’s strands of a child’s wind-blown hair or bear cubs playing by the water, the art moves and flows. The combination of engrossing art and whimsical text creates a fresh, bright, exciting picture book. While this reviewer isn’t particularly into hiking or camping, the collages capture the beauty of the outdoor settings in a way that had me slowly scanning to decipher each tiny facet and how it contributes to the overall aesthetic and the vibrancy of each scene.

-Quill & Quire