Deep in the Woods

This stunningly beautiful book is a twist on a Russian traditional folk tale, Teremok.

With its red front door and nine neat windows, a small white house stands deep in the wood. Nobody lives in it until that is along comes a little mouse. Just the place for a home, he decides and sets about making it nice and clean. Soon however, some other woodland animals spot the house and naturally they too want a home therein. Kindly mouse obliges, making them feel welcome and before long, there are twelve animals living peaceably together.

Sounds of their happy dancing and music attract a brown bear’s attention and he decides that the house would be a good place for him to live too. Indeed he is determined so to do but try as he might, he just cannot squeeze his huge form into the house. And when he tries another tactic, the whole house begins to collapse beneath his bulky body.

Alarmed at his destruction of the other animals’ home, bear sets about rebuilding it, helped naturally by the others and together they make a wonderful new place to live and the tale ends happily for everyone.

Let’s hope all the countries involved in the current refugee crisis can become as open-hearted as that little mouse and offer those in desperate need a safe place to begin to rebuild their lives.

With his modern-edged, folksy style, dazzling colour palette, glorious endpapers and retro cover, Christoper Corr has done this story proud. I also loved his The Goggle-Eyed Goats and I look forward to seeing what else he will produce.