ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
YOUNGER FICTION
Hara, Kyoko

The Mailbox in the Forest

74 pp. | Museyon | October, 2021 | Trade ISBN 978-1-940842-53-0 $14.99
(2) 1-3 Translated by Alexandrea Mallia. Illustrated by Kazue Takahashi. In this appealingly illustrated chapter book, Mayu, a city-dwelling first grader, spends a holiday with her grandparents in the country and becomes enthralled by the adjacent woodland. When she discovers a private mailbox deep in the forest, she posts a letter, and soon she has become pen pals with the mysterious Konta. They share information about their families, and an alert reader might begin to suspect that Konta has a secret. On a glorious watercolor spread glowing with the gold of fall foliage, Konta is revealed as a fox child. Mayu is due to return home and wonders how she and Konta will be able to maintain their epistolary friendship; happily, a bird suggests a creative solution. Occasional culturally specific Japanese references, such as making a teru teru bozu doll to discourage rain, are perfect for early-chapter-book readers, whose horizons are expanding. A subtle subtext suggests that Mayu is ambivalent about her new baby sister and that time spent with indulgent grandparents, the freedom to explore nature, and making a new friend are just what is required to weather that potentially sticky family shift.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

RELATED 

YOUNGER FICTION

Fox & Rabbit Celebrate
by Ferry, Beth
YOUNGER FICTION

Popcorn Bob
by Rinck, Maranke
YOUNGER FICTION

Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite!
by Spires, Ashley
YOUNGER FICTION

The Middle Kid
by Weinberg, Steven
YOUNGER FICTION

Ivy + Bean Get to Work!
by Barrows, Annie
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?