(2) K-3 Young squirrel Evergreen is afraid of just about everything. When Mama asks her to deliver soup to Granny Oak, Evergreen sets off through the woods with trepidation. Her journey is full of unexpected incidents: she extricates a rabbit trapped between boulders, removes briars from a red-tailed hawk's feathers, and rescues a stranded young toad. Cordell's (­Cornbread & Poppy, rev. 3/22) picture book, with its longer-than-usual text, is broken into six engaging parts, and his fine-lined pen-and-ink drawings are colored with a soft watercolor palette of browns and greens. The varied page layouts convey both the coziness of Evergreen's world and the tension of life as part of the woodland food chain. ­Evergreen arrives safely with the soup, and a rewarding character reveal allows her to complete her task and fulfill her promise. By the time she's back home, after so many pages of adventure, ­Evergreen realizes that she is brave and she can solve problems.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(1) K-3 In Goade's (Caldecott Medalist for We Are Water Protectors, rev. 7/20) latest picture book, set "on an island at the edge of a wide, wild, sea," a Tlingit grandmother teaches her granddaughter "how to live on the land." First, they gather what they need from the water. Then they enter the forest to pick berries; the berries' names serve as an evolving refrain, and the land is also frequently and reverently referenced. As they pick, they sing to the flora, the fauna, and the ancestors: "We take care of the land... As the land takes care of us." Once they have collected what they need, they head home. After their subsequent feast, they say "Gunalchéesh," giving thanks for the food. The story ends with the girl passing on the song and her grandmother's knowledge to her younger sister. Goade's lush, brightly colored art vividly portrays the landscape. In many of the images, the child and her grandmother are shown intertwined with the forest, with which they are deeply connected. In one scene, the grandmother and granddaughter are the same green as the forest, and their hair and faces are covered by leaves. In another image, we see a totem pole faintly outlined within a tree. An author's note tells more about Goade's childhood; her life in Sheet'ká, or Sitka, Alaska; and the song in the book. Endpapers name the berries in both English and Tlingit.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Diana Sudyka. This novel, set in 1963, consists of three narrative strands. Londoner Maggie, nearly twelve, lives with a stutter. Her halting speech makes school a misery, and she's facing the threat of being sent to a boarding school for the disabled that has a frightening reputation. A visit to her grandfather, a doctor who lives in a small Cornish village, provides a temporary reprieve. Running alongside this story is the dramatic tale of Rumpus, a young snow leopard bought at the exotic pet department of Harrods department store and then abandoned in a forest adjacent to the same Cornish village. Finally, we follow the fate of that ancient forest, the property of Lord Foy, a truly malevolent villain who plans to raze it for development. In a suspenseful and neatly-worked-out plot we see how Maggie's deep connections to animals and the natural world are her greatest strengths, enabling physical bravery and creative problem-solving. The theme of diverse varieties of communication braids the narrative together and deepens its impact. Generous back matter alerts readers to resources on stuttering, big-cat conservation, and reforestation efforts worldwide. Chapter decorations and the occasional pen-and-ink illustration add to the richness of this immersive experience.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) 4-6 In the tiny town of Aldermere in the midst of California's redwood forest, magic is a given. It makes life unpredictable--an unlabeled door may lead anywhere, for one thing--but for Finley, it offers a way to forget her anxieties. Whisper a memory into a cup of magical tea, drink the tea, and instantly that memory is gone and she's calm and confident. So when the tea shop closes because of an accident, Fin sneaks in and makes her own tea, inadvertently creating Teafin, her "evil doppelgänger," from her used tea leaves. When a rash of petty crimes disturbs the town, she's sure Teafin is the culprit and vows to stop her. Not all of Lloyd-Jones's sentences pull their weight in this lengthy tale, but the inventiveness and charm of its magical details balance that out. Aside from its interest in Fin's suppressed traumatic memories (the theme behind the doppelgänger), the novel celebrates the regional. Dogberries, thimbleberries, huckleberries, salmonberries, and blackberries are sold at the Foragers' Market, giving more than a nod to wild fare and sustainable living; indeed, the town's dilemma about preserving its magic is very much the thorny issue of conservation and protection. Lloyd-Jones provides a measure of humor, too. "Aren't you evil?" one character asks Teafin. "I'm just uninhibited," Teafin declares.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Martina Heiduczek. At school in East Prussia in the early 1940s, Liesl is taught to revere Adolf Hitler. When Germany wins the war, which she believes is inevitable, fountains will run with lemonade and ice cream, and every family will be given a puppy. Then, in 1944, Russian soldiers come; Germany has lost the war; Liesl, her brother, and their baby sister must flee in the dead of winter. Separated from their mother, they live "like wolves" in the forest, subsisting on frogs, squirrels, and wild plants; sometimes they're lucky enough to find unharvested potatoes or to work for Russian soldiers. The children eventually find refuge with a loving Lithuanian couple. To be safe, however, they must erase all vestiges of their German background. What will remain of her, Liesl wonders, once she has relinquished even her native language? As Liesl begins her slow unlearning of Nazi propaganda and comes to understand the atrocities against which she had been sheltered, she gains true insight into who she is--and who she can become. The incidents and challenges involved in the children's survival (based on true events of the Wolfskinder, or "wolf children," who, per an introductory note, were themselves "victims of war") are both sobering and enlightening.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker

(2) K-3 Translated by Nick Frost. Illustrated by Qin Leng. "I simply can't decide what I want to do." Standing frozen on the doorstep, young Clover struggles to choose--should she go mushroom picking? Or to the river to look for mussels? There are so many things to do around her family's goat farm. Reminded by her brother that there are no wrong answers, Clover opts to go to the river, where she sees her goat, Peony, disappearing into the forest. To find Peony, Clover journeys alone into the forest, making important decisions along the way. Keep going or turn back? Go left or right? She asks a tree, a stream, and the wind, but they don't offer any advice. Still, Clover finds strength and learns to act quickly and decisively in the process. Leng's engaging ink and watercolor illustrations add an inviting visual narrative. This story about decision-making and self-trust is also an homage to nature and its power--­sometimes wild and scary, at other times soothing, calming, and inspiring.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(2) PS Translated by Johanna McCalmont. Illustrated by Florian Pigé. A girl in a treehouse regularly explores the woods through her binoculars: "I know the forest inside out." Suddenly, she spots something new--the antlers of a deer reaching into the sky. She runs to the deer and secures permission to climb his antlers. "You can tell me what you see," says the deer. As she climbs, she passes a birthday party of woodland creatures; a mouse reading a newspaper; a garden, complete with a Venus flytrap; and a huge sleeping snake. From the top of the antlers, she takes in a brilliant sunset. "I didn't know I could climb so high," she tells the deer when she's back on solid ground. The enchanting scenes of the creatures settled into the twisting, curving antlers will thrill young ­viewers--expect to linger on these spreads to engage with the details in Pigé's velvety and textured earth-toned illustrations. Both author and illustrator give the wide-eyed protagonist an abundant curiosity that propels page-turns. Best of all, the inquisitive girl takes it all in as the habitual nature-watcher she is. Though she knows nature is wondrous (mice drying off with towels don't surprise her), she's still awed by seeing a glorious sunset from an all-new height.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Hohn. Hallie Morse Daggett dreamed of joining the US Forest Service to fight fires in California's Siskiyou Mountains--an unheard-of goal for a woman at the turn of the previous century. But Hallie persisted and was finally hired as a fire lookout in 1913. She spent fifteen fire seasons in a primitive mountain cabin reporting on smoke and flames, contending with fierce electrical storms, and fending off wild animals. Bissonette's engaging portrayal of a self-assured and determined figure is enhanced by Hohn's imaginative illustrations. An author's note provides more detail and includes three black-and-white archival photos.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Imagine This! series. Illustrated by Nic Jones. A tree in a boreal forest offers food and shelter for animals, nutrients for the soil, and more during its lifetime. When fire, pests, storms, or disease kill a tree, Bissonette explains, the tree continues to be a valuable resource in the forest. "The tree, now in its second life, hums with activity--animals nesting and looking for food." As the tree decomposes further, it enriches the soil and supports new growth. Jones's lush forest scenes are detailed but not cluttered; the informative main text is enhanced by related information in smaller type on many pages. Bissonette talks about her personal connection to trees in an author's note. Things to consider when "Exploring Snags and Fallen Logs" and suggested reading are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk. Crespo gives readers a story of a forest fire and its aftermath from the point of view of one who has been there: a tree. A ponderosa pine, to be exact. This one grew from a sapling in a forest clearing and describes its comfortable surroundings and those who keep it company: a family in a nearby house, animals, and other trees. But one hot and windy summer night, lightning strikes and ignites a massive fire, forcing all to flee, except the rooted-in-place tree. "All I could do...was wait." A double-page spread of vignettes shows firefighters saving animals and fighting flames, and, in a small deviation from point of view, the tree's human neighbors in a local shelter. Finally, "fire lost the battle." Two dramatic illustrations, nearly devoid of color, depict a charred landscape, with our narrator, and a few of its neighboring conifers, still standing. Soon, life returns. Spare prose outlines the process of recovery while the watercolor and digital illustrations provide a full picture of people rebuilding a home and planting seedlings, birds returning, and forest animals adapting to the changed surroundings. Concluding notes, geared to an older audience, trace the general sequence of events in forest fires, beginning with their inception and outlining both the immediate and long-term effects. Appended with a bibliography. See also Wildfire! on page 90.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 The book's young narrator, sporting a red beanie, has just moved to the country with his mother and is not thrilled about it. "Nights are too quiet," he complains. "Mornings are too loud." Soon, however, he becomes comfortable in the woods, and notices a red fox that lives nearby. When a forest fire erupts, the boy and his mother evacuate; on a dramatic wordless spread, the fox, along with the other animal denizens of the forest, makes its own escape. Time passes before any of them can return. The child's description of his post-fire home accompanies an illustration of blackened tree trunks with small shoots of green emerging from the forest floor: "While things don't look like they did before, the forest knows what to do after a fire." The final page-turn reveals the mother planting a sapling while the child carries wood to frame their new house, noting "and so do we." Despite the serious and timely topic (with wildfires becoming increasingly common and more severe in the American West due to climate change), Popovici's lean text and gentle cartoon-style paintings keep the tone suitable for young readers. The child, fox, and fire are visually connected by the color red (also used very effectively on the textured endpapers) so the fire becomes part of the forest rather than a terrifying interloper. Adults may question why the family rebuilds on the same site, using traditional wood construction, but the child audience will understand that families, both human and fox, can thrive after tragedy. An appended author's note and "More About Wildfires" page provide more detail.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Serena Malyon. Having lost both parents to an apartment fire when she was little, Addy steers clear of fire as much as possible, and spends much of her time making maps of her Bronx neighborhood that note all the ways to "no matter what: Escape. Survive." When her grandmother signs her up for a wilderness adventure program in California for "Black city kids," Addy desperately wishes she could escape that, too--a summer in the forests of California with five strangers doesn't sound particularly interesting or safe. She is almost immediately proven wrong: her interactions with wilderness camp owner Leo establish Addy as "a kid who didn't know they belonged in the wild." Under Leo's tutelage, Addy adapts to the forest, learns about climate change's impact on the environment, and begins to flourish in her mapmaking skills. While the other kids in her group also become acclimated to the wildernesss, Addy is unique in her understanding of the world around her--and when a forest fire threatens their very lives, it is that understanding that offers a chance at survival. Although the quick pacing doesn't lend itself as well to the full development of secondary characters, the novel's lyrical tone and first-person narration bring home Addy's love of nature as well as her urgency to protect it. Rhodes's contribution brings welcome diversity to the wilderness adventure genre; an afterword provides additional information on climate change, forest fires, and minorities' access to wilderness/national parks.

Reviewer: Eboni Njoku | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) PS In Green (rev. 3/12), author-illustrator Seeger paired a color concept book with an ecological theme, following it some years later with Blue (rev. 9/18), which similarly united a consideration of color with one of emotion. Now she turns to red--sixteen shades of it, from "dark red" to "just red"--to tell the story of a lost fox. The painterly acrylic images and strategic die-cuts immerse viewers in the fox's world and trials, from it trailing the pack to becoming lost to enduring hunger, injury, and capture, until its eventual return to its family. Hues range from the "light red" of sunrise to the "blood red" of an injured paw to the "rage red" of being trapped in a cage. The season is autumn, which allows Seeger the full riot of shades of reds, but the story is an anytime one, the fox a stand-in for anyone going through trouble on the way to security.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 In four stories, one for each season, we follow the adventures of Little Witch Hazel, a sturdy, rosy-cheeked forest dweller with a bevy of woodland friends--gnomes, fairies, trolls, owls, mice, frogs, and newts. The tales recall classic nursery stories (a rescued animal who later repays the kindness; a parade of creatures that gets longer and longer as everyone joins in a quest) and as such have just the right amount of tension for the audience. (What could be making the eerie noises coming from the hollow tree? Will Hazel become lost in a blizzard?) Apart from a pointed hat, there is nothing particularly witchy about Hazel. Rather, she seems to be a kind of community-health carer, seeing to an abandoned owl's egg, a chipmunk with a toothache, a postpartum rabbit mother. Wahl's (The Blue House, rev. 7/20) digital art, in deep earth tones, has the retro look of wood-block prints and contains plenty of details to pore over. An endpaper map of the whole of Mosswood Forest serves to remind readers of the journey just taken and the pleasures of this tight-knit neighborhood in miniature.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) K-3 Wolff tells a story of both animal survival during a wildfire and the work of forest firefighters. Readers and listeners will appreciate the clear, direct text--"Buck hears the rumble. Squirrel sees the flash." Once the lightning strike starts a blaze, humans and animals react. The animals warn one another and take cover or run: turtles burrow, porcupines hide, and bears wade into water. Aircraft head for Spruce Mountain, where firefighters parachute in and trucks arrive loaded with people and equipment. At the culmination of the firefighting efforts, crew members create a firebreak with bulldozers and shovels; and finally a rainstorm helps to douse the flames. With the blaze extinguished, animals come out of hiding and "life continues on Spruce Mountain." The wide, dramatic vistas of forest scenes will feel familiar to fans of Wolff's work (Stella and Roy Go Camping, rev. 5/99; Where, Oh Where, Is Baby Bear?, rev. 11/17). The paintings in vivid reds, oranges, and golds along with the descriptive yet brief text provide sensory details of forest life and wildfire. It is a hopeful story of a fire put out quickly thanks to the efforts of humans and a good deal of luck. Helpful back matter includes a glossary of specialized vocabulary, a list of firefighting tools, and websites for further exploration. A timely, informative, and approachable book.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Rob Dunlavey. Once again Elliott (On the Farm, rev. 3/08; In the Sea, rev. 1/12; and others) captures the essence of a habitat and its creatures in poetry that manages to be both pithy and profound. Here fifteen poems, each on its own double-page spread, are devoted to animals of the forest. As in previous volumes, some poems are clever and funny ("Give the skunk / a lot of / room, unless / you care for / strong perfume"); others are almost elegiac in tone. A few are concrete poems, including "The Hornet," arranged in the shape of a hornet's nest. Dunlavey's art is not as in-your-face spectacular as that by some of the previous illustrators of the series but is perfect for setting and subject. His expansive watercolor and mixed-media illustrations feature aptly muted hues, with occasional bright spots: the red flash of a scarlet tanager; the pink of a wild turkey's neck. The compositions are focused and compelling--the viewer knows exactly where to look on every spread. It's worth lingering to find details of interest, however. A fox on the hunt "stands red /against the April snow," and our eye is caught and held by the intensity of her expression and posture. But look closely to see a squirrel clinging, unmoving, to the far side of a tree, and a vole hiding in an underground burrow. An ideal marriage of poetry and art; another successful entry in a long-running and (seemingly) perennially renewable series.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alexander Mostov. This broad overview aims to raise awareness of threats to the world's forests. The lively pages dole out information via friendly illustrations, accessible text boxes, and lots of captions; the volume's clear organization helps with comprehension. After introducing features of tropical rainforests, boreal forests, and temperate forests, French's presentation focuses on deforestation, its causes (e.g., agriculture, paper industry), effects (habitat loss, threats to indigenous populations), and solutions (ethical consumerism, education). "What You Can Do" offers realistic suggestions. Glossary.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. A bunny, two mice, a bird, a squirrel, and an owl emerge from a hollow tree to enjoy a snow storm. When too much snow piles up ("Snow is heavy"), a branch breaks, causing the bird to fall into a deep drift. Oh, no! The cartoonlike illustrations show the other animals gathered around a bird-sized hole: "Friends try to help." An effective page turn resolves the tension as the bird pops out of the hole: "...birds can fly." Subtle details in the illustrations (the sky changes from pale morning colors to vibrant sunset orange and pink) extend the story and enhance the wintry atmosphere.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) PS Illustrated by Jennifer Faria. This sweetly unassuming picture book is simultaneously a small wintertime adventure, a story of a loving intergenerational friendship, and an animal-identification book incorporating both English and Ojibwemowin vocabulary. On a snowy day, a very young boy and his grandfather take a walk in the woods across from their home. On their walk, they encounter a black bird. Grandpa introduces the bird first in English as "Raven" and then in Ojibwemowin as "Gaagaagi." The pattern is repeated with "Rabbit" ("Waabooz") and "Deer" ("Waawaashkeshi"). As they walk, the boy and Grandpa make tracks in the snow, comparing them with the animal tracks they see. Their encounters with the woods' wildlife are interspersed with moments demonstrating the warm relationship between the two. At book's end, they head home for milk and cookies and a nap. Acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations vividly portray the snowy landscape as well as the boy and grandfather's home; the bright yellow living room filled with mementos radiates love and warmth. ­Endpapers helpfully label the three ­animals with their English and Ojibwemowin names; the Ojibwemowin names are also spelled phonetically.

Reviewer: Nicholl Denice Montgomery | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(2) K-3 This timely and striking story of a forest wildfire is told from the point of view of a deer, who speaks for all the forest creatures. In lush, earth-toned gouache illustrations, we see creatures in their forest home. "We have always lived in this forest," the deer states. "I used to think this forest would always be our home." But one day a spark flies across dry trees; smoke appears; and flames grow. The sky grows dark, and in an alarming and unflinching spread, a small flame lands on the head of Mountain Lion. The animals, now merely red-hot silhouettes against a wall of flames, flee. Marino's driving text is filled with descriptive verbs--the fire snaps and swallows--and her taut sentences pack a punch: "The smoke was strong. But we were stronger." All the animals eventually return and see new shoots of green in the blackened forest, the powerful final line echoing the book's title. A closing note from Marino describes her own experience in the 2017 Northern California wildfires, seeing embers "the size of dinner plates." The appended "wildfire facts" answer questions for young readers about how wildfires start and spread and how wildlife responds. Lists for further reading and for learning more about wildfires are also appended.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021