Review Detail

Take a look at the wonders of the forest with THE FOREST REVEALED. Going month by month, Jada Fitch and Kateri Kosek capture the creatures that call the forest home and the changes that happen each month.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful; they look like the kind of art you would see in a gallery. Jada Fitch manages to capture the life and spirit of the forest in her drawings. The drawings capture the sun as it shines on plants, the grace of birds, the texture of the plants and animals. The art is my favorite part of this book, hands down.

The setup of this book was not what I expected. Each month has six pages dedicated to it. A brief summary at the beginning of each month lets readers experience what it might be like to venture into the woods during that time. There is an full-page illustration of what the forest looks like during that time. The illustration condenses the forest, striving to fit as many of the lifeforms into one image as possible. The book also numbers and lists every organism that is included in the image, highlighting not only the different animals, but also the different plants and lichens. After that, there are four pages of each month dedicated to sharing more information about some of the specific plants and animals. I could never have expected that much information in the book when I originally heard about it, but it’s fantastic. It allows the reader to feel drawn into each month.

There is quite a lot of information in this book and it’s written at a level that doesn’t quite fit the starting age. This book is marked as being appropriate for ages 8 and up. It is, but kids on the younger end of that scale may not appreciate the depth of information that the book provides. But that does also depend on the kid, their reading level, and their own interest. The information itself is well-written and interesting; they chose a good mix of common and unique organisms to talk about.

THE FOREST REVEALED is a detailed and immersive look into what the forest looks like throughout the year. With absolutely stunning art and a wealth of information, this book is a fantastic pick for kids who love nature and science. Just be sure that the reading level is suitable for them.