The Forest of Dreams
Written and illustrated by Merve Atilgan
Verdict:
A visually and thematically sophisticated picture book, notable for its enchanting, at times surreal art style.
What is it about?
A girl ventures into an imaginary (or is it?) forest. What dangers and wonders lurk within? In an episodic, surreal narrative, she discovers strange creatures, light, and darkness.
Our take:
This striking, unusual picture book seems to lay out a symbolic emotional landscape within the main character — think a somewhat more dreamlike version of Pixar’s Inside Out. Inside the girl’s imaginary forest, an “anxious white rabbit, always darting about” might signify ambition, anxiety, or many other emotions, open to the reader’s interpretation, but always leading to the main character becoming “hopelessly tangled in a maze of vines”. Darkness, which is presented as a benevolent friend, could represent sadness, grieving, or any other weighty emotion which the girl learns to accept and celebrate.
The art deserves special notice, appealingly presenting movement, dance, and color, as well as an array of enchanting creatures, from fireflies to frogs with mushroom caps. The spreads throughout are delightfully vivid, with interplays of textures and opacities, light and shadow, presenting an almost mythical quality that will be equally fascinating for both adults and children.
Perfect fit for:
This is a picture book for all ages, but it eschews traditional structures, jokes, or hooks in favor of amorphous, enchanting mood-building, a broadly interpretable narrative, and gorgeous imagery. We recommend it for parent-child readalouds as the images and story may spark some discussion. That said, a picture book that leads to questions and wondering — especially one centered around such beautiful images — is one that builds connection and can be read again and again.
Conversation Starters
If you had a world inside you that you could wander into, what would it look like?
Would you like to go into the forest in this book? Why or why not?
Which are your favorite creatures in this book?
In this book, the girl discovers that darkness can be a friend, “a quiet companion”. What do you think?
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