Alone in the Forest

One day, Musa goes into the wood alone to collect wood when his mother is ill. All is well, until a deafening noise suddenly terrifies him and he dives for cover. Eventually, he finds a way to overcome his fear, returning home with a new-found confidence and courage.

The narrative is simple, whilst the themes of fear and courage are ones to which every child will be able to relate. However, by far the greatest strength of this book is the artwork which is inspired by the images that filled the walls and floors of the illustrator’s childhood home. Bhajju Shyam is accepted as the world’s finest Gond tribal artist in India, and when reading this book, you can see why. Lose yourself in the rich earth colours and strong lines of his visual language as you are transported to the forest with Musa.

An important book to support the development of young children’s of visual literacy.