“McAnulty, an award-winning young climate activist in Northern Ireland with a large, international following, shares his diary of evocative, thoughtful, and utterly charming nature observations . . . His affinity for patient contemplation outdoors spurs him to a degree of watchfulness that eludes many and contributes to his insightful commentary about what he sees and what he's learned about the land . . . Infused with joy, this is a title to linger over, one that will inspire readers to appreciate the living world.”

“Dara’s is an extraordinary voice and vision: brave, poetic, ethical, lyrical, strong enough to have made him heard and admired from a young age.”

“McAnulty joins the ranks of those whose work seeks acceptance of non-neurotypical thought and demonstrates that people with autism contribute singularly authentic, and essential, human perspectives. In the case of McAnulty, it is a perspective of unfettered adoration for plants and animals that rebuts a status quo of marginalization and suppression . . . Over and over again, McAnulty reminds us that our most immediate environment lies within our own minds—and that between each one of us is the same cherished diversity we can also find by leaving a bucket of murky water in the yard and seeing what arrives.”

“Dara McAnulty’s book fully transforms you into his life as a curious kid who is fascinated with the world around him. His beautifully written story reiterates our immense connection with nature and its need to protect it for future generations.”

“Intimate, sensitive, deeply felt . . . [McAnulty’s] prose is both spirited and spiritual, performing an intensive phenomenological survey of the wildlife around his home, bringing the reader into deep, occasionally uncomfortably close communion with the insects, plants and, above all, the birds of Northern Ireland. . . . The depth of his feeling illuminates every page of this miraculous memoir. It’s a book that succeeds in describing the deep and complex pleasure of immersion in nature.”

“Like reading William Blake, or Ted Hughes, [this] really is a strange and magical experience. . . . [Diary of a Young Naturalist] will surely be one of the most original and talked about nature books, or any books, this year.”

“A beautifully written, profoundly important classic of nature writing that will ignite a passion for the wild in every reader. A stunning achievement. I adored it.”