I Hear You, Forest

This gentle picture book takes the reader along on a nature walk with a young child. The child observes the sounds the forest makes from the creaking of trees and rustle of leaves to the splish splish of a deer drinking and the nibbling of squirrels. The book concludes with the child’s expressing its love of the forest, having taken the time to appreciate its sights and sounds.

For a book about sounds, I Hear You, Forest is a quiet book. It takes a child’s innate fascination with nature and curiosity for the little things and slows it way down, encouraging the reader to also be still and listen. There is a respect for the natural world here; the child is always drawn smaller than the environment so the focus is on the latter - the child is a guest in this space, and nothing is interfered with. Even what is listened to - “Tree”, “Robin”, “Stream” - are capitalized, showing respect and personifying the things the child comes across .

The text follows a predictive pattern where there is a sound followed by a first person observation, an alliteration, and then a question. The onomatopoeia and repetitive text would be suitable for beginner readers. However, this book may not have enough narrative as a read-aloud book for the older side of the 3-7 age range recommended by the publisher.

The illustrations, in gouache and color pencils, add to the softness of the book with muted greens, blues, and browns. The child, coloured in orange and yellow, stands out in this space. The forest shown is a hospitable place teeming with magical looking plants, friendly curious wildlife, and easy spaces to walk, climb and rest in. These details add extra interest beyond the text.

Overall, I Hear You, Forest is a beautiful and mellow book for chaotic times.