The Night the Forest Came to Town
By Charles Ghigna Illustrated by Annie Wilkinson
I was given an early release of the book by Netgalley for my honest and fair review.
The Night the Forest Came to Town in a gorgeous little story about the restoring the natural environment. Told mostly in rhyme, the book was a great quick read for my boys and I. The story is very poetic and makes you want to go plant more flowers in your garden. The illustrations were my favorite part. I’m sure the physical book will even more gorgeous to have.
Great story for the grandkids or your little monsters. Giving the book a 3.5/5 star.

This was a very nice, calm picture book told in the form of a poem in 4 lines every 1-2 pages. The pacing is slow, the storyline is like a barely-sloped hill and the ending is sweet. Not much happens - a good read-aloud for preschoolers in need of a calming book. Nothing spectacular but with the right kid it will probably resonate. Recommended for toddlers, preschoolers and early elementary.

This was great! I really liked the story and how it was poetic. Some of the pages were aesthetically beautiful. The illustrations of the animals and plants were really nice, and I loved the contrast between the very vibrant light and dark colours. I really appreciated how the people reflected what a population would look like in an actual city, as there was a lot of diversity.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC!

A sweet, simple rhyming book with beautiful illustrations children (and me!) will love, especially if they love nature.

The combination of beautiful illustrations and rhyming prose makes this book a must have for any nature lovers book shelf. The children notice the natural world coming into the city while everyone is asleep.

I recieved this copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Night is falling in town and as it gets darker, the forest slowly makes it's way into town. The Night the Forest Came to Town is a beautifully illustrated book with fun rhyming text.

The Night the Forest Came to Town tells a gentle, rhyming story of some little ways that bits and pieces of wildlife "arrive" overnight in a city. From bird nests to flowers, from rodents to new seedlings, the forest reclaims certain sections of the city that become more visible and beautiful as the sun dawns.

I suppose it's a little bit of a "human vs. nature" story without feeling antagonistic, though a bit idealized in its outcome. Still, I enjoyed the illustrations, especially the colors and vantage points, and I can see how this could bring a bit of gardening inspiration even to a busy city landscape.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)

As someone who lives in a bigger city that does have a lot of nature, wildlife, and large untouched forest areas, I felt quite connected to this book. Even though I frequently see wildlife such as deer, rabbits, squirrels, and eagles, I'm still amazed at how stunning they are. And I can imagine how excited the characters in this book are when they wake up to find a forest full of beautiful nature and wildlife in their city which was previously a concrete jungle. I loved this book from cover to cover. The illustrations and colors were immaculate, and i can only envision how wonderful this book will look printed and in person.

I have received a much appreciated digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The art is beautiful. There are curious animals and observant children who see them. There are both swirls and hard edges from mother nature, and in the man made shapes of the urban landscape. The juxtaposition of the steely city night and in the unraveling vibrant colors of the natural world woven in and exposed in the morning, is human ecology at its core. Readers will appreciate the diversity of characters and the beautiful details that make every person in the book unlike everybody else.

Every page of text could stand alone as a poem. So fluent and powerful and complete. At the same time, when you read the complete book, it reveals a narrative that serves the title well. Lines like, "In the hallowed hush of twilight" or "In the evening late one summer when the concrete was still warm" offer opportunities to visualize beyond the illustrations. There are interesting verbs and descriptive vocabulary throughout the book. The science fans will love the access to seamless lessons about ecosystems and habitats...

"In the fountain by the city square
the beaver built a dam
that changed the fountain to a pond
where fish and tadpoles swam"

This is a beautiful story told in rhyme about restoring the natural environment. The town is all concrete with no plants or trees. When a crack appears in the concrete, seeds are dropped by birds, the wind blows in seeds and plants begin to grow. The town is renewed with plants, trees and gardens and animals that come to make their homes in the new growth. A magical story that could be used when studying the environment and habitats. The illustrations are beautiful and add so much to the story. A great addition to any library: home, school, classroom or public.

A wonderful and fun rhyming story about the transformation of a concrete city into a lush green playscape. The animals in the night come out to help take over the city, and plant things that grow instead of piles of concrete. The illustrations are beautiful and detailed. This is sure to be loved by story time readers for many years to come.

Lovely illustrations. The story is a little confusing to me and I think reading it in physical format would enhance the experience. Love the idea of nature taking over the city!

Beautiful illustrations! A few of the rhymes are a bit forced but overall the text flows well and the message is lovely.

This book is about a forest that started to grow in the city. The pictures were gorgeous and the rhyming text flowed nicely. This is great for kids who enjoy nature and animals. I highly recommend it.

#netgalley

Lovely lyrical story set to rhyme... Easy to read for young readers and adults. Fun and busy illustrations to catch the listener's attention. A great message of nature taking back the cityscape!! This book could easily be added and used within a classroom setting or a home library to remind readers to respect and admire nature.

What a great book for educators to use to teach many lessons. The fact that the book is written in rhyme is sure to capture (and hold!) the attention of children. When reread again and again there are many meaningful lessons to be discovered! Would recommend educators check out The Night the Forest Came to Town!

ARC Copy...lyrical in prose and beautiful illustrations of nature creeping gently into an urban landscape "enhancing" it one magical night.

What a wonderfully whimsical rhyming story! I absolutely loved the illustrations and how easily the story flowed. I feel like it is the perfect amount of words per page. Definitely a great story to have for little children.

My 4 year old absolutely loved the illustrations. It takes a lot to catch her attention, but this book had no trouble keeping her entertained as I read. I will definitely be adding this to our shelf for my girls.

A lovely rhyming story about a forest creeping into a city on a late summer evening. The wind and birds spread seeds to create rooftop gardens and saplings root in concrete cracks overnight. Animals find their way into the park to build their homes and when the children wake the next morning, the forest continues growing. Beautiful illustrations bring this magical children's story to life.

As someone in a city without a lot of grass, I found this story a fun little adventure. I wish a forest would creep into my town at night!