The Forest

by Clarie A. Nivola and Claire A. Nivola

Book Overview

Courage takes a mouse on a wonderful journey I had always been afraid of the forest, that dark and unknown place at the farthest edge of my little world. At night I often dreamed of it and woke chilled with fear. The fear was there in the day, too, hidden inside me no matter what I did or where I went. One night the fear pressed so heavily on me that I could bear it no longer. So begins a journey of discovery for a brave little mouse who decides he...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374324522
• ISBN13: 9780374324520
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Frances Foster Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.6" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Soothing Journey

Surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Almost like a lyrical narrative. Very neat journey into and out of the forest.

BEAUTIFUL!

In a short preface to this book, the author quotes Tolstoy's Prince Andrea who has fallen in battle and "looked up to see the `lofty, equitable, and kindly sky' and understood so much." This is from "War and Peace," a work which has absolutely nothing to do with this book other than the fact that this short sentence does address fear and it happens to be one of my favorite sequences in the entire work, i.e. War and Peace. This wonderful little story is indeed all about fear and facing your fears. We have a little mouse that lives in a little village who has always been afraid of the forest, "that dark and unknown place at the farthest edge of my little world;" so says the mouse. His fear pressed so heavily on him that he simply could no longer bear it. One morning the little mouse gets up out of bed and begins his journey to the forest outside his comfortable little village and comfortable little home and life. This little story is told in the first person (or should I say, first mouse) as it is through the voice, thoughts, observations and telling of the young mouse that we receive this mellow tale. The prose is quite simple, the message, for some will be quite apparent and it is a pure delight to read the words of Claire A. Nivola; she is indeed an excellent writer. This is only half of the charm of this work tough because then we have the art work! Oh my! Picture books come and go in this genre but some of them last and last and this one is bound to be one of those that will be with us for years to come. The artist, Ms Nivola, uses a rather mixed technique of both simplicity and detail that is exciting to the eye, yet at the same time has a definite calming effect. Her use of lines, clutter and extreme detail hidden in a flood of scrabble is quite unique and gives each illustration an almost luminous effect. Now I will admit to being rather prejudice here in that I have been experimenting with this technique for years myself. The difference is that the author/artist with this work has been able to pull it off, whereas I have not and probably never will. I must admit to a certain amount of envy here, although grateful envy because I now see how it should be done and how wonderful it is when it is executed by someone with actual talent. This is one of those books that probably require an adult to read it with the child; the very young child, as I feel the main message and thrust of the story may be lost on the little ones. This is good though as it will force the parent, grandparent, teacher or whatever to actually do their job; the job being teaching! The essence of the story is that we need to face our fears and that the fear of the unknown is all in all, rather silly and useless. To go out to those dark regions we know nothing of, regions we all have within us, is a good thing and what we may find in "our own woods," may be as pleasant as what the little mouse found in his. Actually, as I set here and ponder this wor

The Joy of Discovery.....

"I had always been afraid of the forest, that dark and unknown place at the farthest edge of my little world..." So begins Claire Nivola's eloquent little story of a mouse who conquers his fear, leaves the safety of his home and village, and discovers the wonders of the beautiful world around him. Mouse bravely sets out one morning on the adventure of a lifetime, walking down the country road on his long journey to the forest. "I stepped inside the forest, between two pillar trees that stood like a gateway." His heart pounded, and the unfamiliar sounds terrified him. Running for cover, the little mouse tripped and fell. "When I opened my eyes, my nose was deep in moss, a forest of tiny trees, as soft as feathers. The sunlight was raining down through the leaves and warming my back. A sweet breeze stirred my fur." The forest wasn't really frightening, just new and unknown..... Ms Nivola's engaging text is joyous and lyrical, and complemented by her elegant and detailed illustrations. Together word and art paint a captivating portrait that's heartwarming, gentle, and reassuring. Perfect for cuddling up and reading aloud, The Forest makes a soothing and cozy bedtime story that's just right for youngsters 3-7. "I listened. All around me a million leaves whispered and rustled gently. I rolled over and, for the first time, looked up. High above, I saw the sky. The sky was bigger than the forest, bigger even than my fear had been, bigger than everything. I lay there-a speck in this enormous beauty-until the light began to fade..."

I'd Give This 5 Stars But I Don't Think Kids Will

This is a beautiful picture book with charming, expressive illustrations filled with details. It tells the tale of a little mouse whose village is at the edge of a great forest. He is very frightened of the forest and imagines that all kinds of dangers are concealed there. One night he gets tired of being afraid and faces his fear and discovers great beauty. This story is told in the first person and uses some words that might be difficult for little ones like looming, devoured, murmuring, headlong, pillars (to describe trees). However, using uncommon words helps to expand a young one's vocabulary so that in itself is not really a problem just an observation. I think what might make this book unappealing to little ones is that it takes place deep within the mouse. He reflects on his fears in a mature way, decides to deal with those fears, goes off to the forest alone still grappling with the fears, the fear reaches a crescendo then in the majesty of the forest he contemplates his place in the Universe and finds tranquility. The text is poetical and I was moved by this peacefully thoughtful book but I think the concepts are too much on the inner plane to interest a child. This would actually make a great gift for a teen going off to college or moving away for the first time, or for a friend embarking on a new career, but it's too deep for little children to enjoy on their own. A parent will really have to explain and dialogue a lot about this book and in that case they might as well dialogue in their own words about facing fears and then choose a fun story for their children.

A gentle treasure

There are really very few picture books each year that are truly wonderful, but I think this is one of them. "The Forest" is in many ways a subtle and quiet book, but its simple plot is one that kids can easily relate to. Told in a first-person narrative, the book tells of a mouse living in a little town who is afraid of the forest. One day he decides to face his fear, and so leaving the cosy home and town, he ventures towards the looming woods. When at last he enters them, he is scared stiff but soon realizes that he really had little to fear except fear itself. The message is thus a very positive one about facing our imaginary fears. Adults as well as children will appreciate the beautiful, detailed, moody paintings that illustrate the story; they show just enough menace to make mouse's fears seem real, but not so much that they are actually scary. The pacing of the story is excellent. Simply put, this book does everything it sets out to do very well.

A most enchanting and delightful storybook for young readers

The Forest is a superbly presented, full color picturebook about a brave young mouse who dares to leave his safe, comfortable home to explore the surrounding forest. Within, he finds grandeur and natural beauty splendidly captured in the heartfelt and wondrous artwork. Written and illustrated by Claire A. Nivola, The Forest is quite strongly recommended as a most enchanting and delightful storybook for young readers.