Imagine a world without tigers roaring and prowling in the dead of night, a world without rhinos gallumphing along the dusty African plains or a world without whales singing their song in the oceans. Wild and Free is all about animals in danger – animals that are hunted or poisoned or chased from their homes. Discover how creatures live wild and free, and then imagine a world without wildlife. The Wonderwise series presents facts in a way that will inspire young children's imaginations about the world around them.
Mick Manning (born in Yorkshire, England, 1959) and Brita Granstrom (born in Eskilstuna, Sweden, 1969) work together as a team sharing the illustration and text. They have been producing award-winning non-fiction picture books for almost twenty years. They show that the best non-fiction for children can be scholarly, albeit with a light touch, and can have some of the imagination-stretching qualities of fiction. They are well known for their exciting performances involving readings and live drawing using overhead camera projection (often involving participation from members of the audience) all mixed with an audio-visual presentation. They appear on a regular basis at major UK book festival venues such as Bath, Cheltenham and Edinburgh International Book Festival. They have appeared at The Royal Society Science Festival and have celebrated The Big Draw at various venues including The Imperial War Museum. They have worked closely to support libraries and schools, performing voluntarily to school classes in the UK and Sweden. Most recently they visited the American Library Association Conference, Texas where they also visited a Hispanic school and libraries in the area.