Thank you to Hachette and Tandem Collective Global for gifting the boys and I a copy of this amazing book as part of the Hachette Kids Australia/NZ Readalong! We absolutely adored this one.
Here are the reasons why we loved this book:
*For its messages about sustainability and caring for our environment and finding friendship in unlikely places.
*For the curious and empathetic protagonist Fern, who enjoys reading and who isn't afraid to venture out of the confines of her grey brick city home to hunt down the bandits who are littering the streets!
*For the beautiful contrast between the cold grey city, with its ordered lines and bleak skies, and the nurturing world of the forest where the bandits live, with its soft colour palette of blues and yellows and purples.
*For the gorgeous endpapers (I'm obsessed with picture book endpapers!) which shift from apple cores at the beginning to fresh red apples at the end of the book - a lovely symbolism of the growth and healing that takes place in the forest.
*For the exquisite digital illustrations which are full of charm and whimsy and explode with such breathtaking and joyful colour that you could easily lose yourself in this futuristic world that Sha'an has created.
Highly recommended for your home or school library, to initiate important conversation about our environment, friendship, and looking after our planet.
Published by Hachette Kids Australia/NZ