‘Wild Next Door’ Book Review: Arefa Tehsin’s Fun Nature Guide for Kids

Book Title: Wild Next Door
Author: Arefa Tehsin
Publisher: Puffin India
Number of Pages: 248
ISBN: 9377301645
Date Published: Aug. 17, 2026

Book Review

Arefa Tehsin’s “Wild Next Door” is a fun and interesting nature book that helps children discover the amazing creatures living around them. Written for children aged nine and above, the book introduces hornets, termites, skinks, fireflies, beetles, earthworms and even a fish that seems to walk. It makes an ordinary garden, backyard or corner of the house feel like a little world of wildlife waiting to be explored.

The book is filled with surprising facts that will make young readers say, “Really?” Earthworms have many hearts, some animals can grow back lost body parts, and beetles have a very unusual way of moving dung. The writing is easy to understand, while the colourful illustrations make the book even more enjoyable.

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“Wild Next Door” encourages children to look at small creatures with curiosity instead of fear. Funny, fascinating, and a little creepy, it shows that nature is much closer than we think—sometimes right outside our door.

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About the Author(s)

Arefa Tehsin is an accomplished author with more than 20 books published by leading houses, including Penguin Random House and HarperCollins. Alongside her books, she writes columns, features and travel stories for prominent publications such as Condé Nast Traveller, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times and The Hindu.

Her work has earned recognition across the literary world, with nominations and shortlisting for several honours, including the Atta Galatta Bangalore Literature Festival Award 2025, BTB Wordsmith of the Year, The Asian Prize for Fiction, Godrej Lit Live! Fiction Book of the Year, the NEEV Book Award, the FICCI Best Book of the Year Award, and The Hindu Young World Best Author Award.

Her book The Elephant Bird has reached an extraordinary range of readers. On International Literacy Day in 2016, it was read at more than 3,200 locations, from urban slums to the Presidential Library, and has since been translated into over 35 languages.

Nature has been an integral part of Tehsin’s life since childhood. The daughter of renowned naturalist Dr. Raza H. Tehsin, she grew up accompanying her father on jungle expeditions, exploring caves and handling snakes. Her lifelong connection with wildlife later led to her appointment as the Honorary Wildlife Warden of Udaipur district. Through her books, articles and columns, she continues to champion nature conservation and encourage readers to develop a deeper appreciation of the natural world.