You Belong in the Wild (Local Author)

by Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant with illustrations by Sawyer Cloud, 2026. Hardcover, 32 pages. Ages 4-8 years.

You’re ready for the wild.

In this heartfelt, stunning picture book, a young child with a love for science discovers that while they don’t see other people like them working in nature, they do belong there.

Despite loving all things nature, Noa struggles to find her place in the wild. She loves watching nature shows, playing pretend with her stuffed animals, and recounting wildlife facts to her mom. But from what she’s seen, the people who work in nature don’t look like her. So, Noa must not belong there.

To convince her otherwise, Noa’s mom takes her on a journey from the city to a state park, where Noa meets a new park ranger friend who shows her that nature is full of diversity, and she belongs just like anyone else.

About the Author

Rae Wynn-Grant is a wildlife ecologist with an expertise in uncovering how human activity influences carnivore behavior and ecology. She received her BS in environmental studies from Emory University, her MS in environmental studies from Yale University, and her PhD in ecology and evolution from Columbia University. She is a Research Fellow with the National Geographic Society, serves on The North Face's Explore Fund Council, co-hosts Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild on NBC, hosts the podcast Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, produced by PBS, and has been featured in Vogue, Forbes, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times, among many others. Her memoir Wild Life: A Scientist's Journey from Dreams to Purpose was published in 2026. She lives in California, where she serves as a Research Affiliate at UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.