Charley Harper’s I Am Wild Board Book

Wild animals live here! Charley Harper’s I Am Wild introduces little ones to animals that call America’s national parks home. Harper was commissioned to design posters for the National Park Service. His artwork highlights each critter’s standout features—from the spots on a fawn to the pointy pink toes of an opossum. This clever guide also includes fun facts about each animal.

Charley Harper

Midcentury modernist Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007) portrayed the natural world with heart and humor. In vivid colors and simple shapes, his cardinals, ladybugs, and clever critters have become icons of wildlife art. His illustrations were published in magazines and books, notably Ford Times and The Giant Golden Book of Biology. A longtime conservationist, Harper created posters for more than 50 nature- and conservation-oriented organizations. His US National Park Service posters—massive, requiring a year each to paint—showcase delightful depictions of entire ecosystems in a style he defined as “minimal realism.” In his adopted hometown of Cincinnati, his public works are the legacy of an artist truly beguiled by the wild, one whose art was a quiet catalyst for ecological action.