Hiking and playing in nature is so beneficial to children, and this book celebrates the sensory experience we get from nature. This would be a great book to use for a 5 senses unit, or to talk about what we experience when we are out in nature.

This book is full of colorful images of things you would see on a walk outside. It is perfect for preschool-age children because of the illustrations and few words on the pages. There isn't much of a storyline; only a few odd phrases and words. It does contain information for adults about exploring nature at the end of the book. I felt the content was a little too basic to make it a part of my children's book collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkid Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Nature and adventure books are almost always a hit in our house and this one was loved as usual. What a fun story

It's a great book to introducing kids to being out with nature and going on walks on trails. The imagery was great, and labelling the different things you can bring builds vocabulary. I particularity lie the different activities they can do.

This cute story would be a great one to read together before a trip into nature. While the story wasn't the most engaging, the text features and information at the end would make good discussions with children.

This was an easy to read graphic novel about using your senses as you take a walk through the woods. The pictures were lovely and clear to follow, allowing the words to be seen well in each page. My daughter and I enjoyed reading this story together and read it a few times over. It felt like we were right there walking in the woods too. Thank you to NetGalley and OwlKids Books for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Come along as a family explores the woods, and learns to observe and respect nature. I just love the author's illustrations - from her unusual color choices to her oddball characters - she won me over with her art. And, I adore the way she draws insects. I also loved the kids' enthusiasm. How wonderful to see children getting excited about exploring the outdoors!

The books concludes with ways you can use your five senses to help you better enjoy the world around you. Hopefully it will encourage kids (and adults) to put down their screens and get outside.

A super fun outdoors book perfect for classroom or home AND for taking right out into the field! The illustrations are fun and the messaging about the environment are perfect for kids learning to appreciate the outdoors.

Spanish writer-illustrator Mariona Tolosa Sisteré has created a beautiful and important book about exploring nature like a scientist. The narrative of a family visiting the forest includes many moments of conscious observation. We see the characters looking at weather apps, following maps, recording leaf and tree shapes, noticing animals traces. The final pages of the book highlight specifically how one can use all five senses to appreciate the natural world. This is a fantastic book to share with children before embarking on walk in the woods with an important message to slow down, be patient and open up all of our observation skills in order to have a fulfilling experience.

Many thanks to NetGalley for access to this early-release digital edition.

In the Woods has great potential and includes wonderful back matter. However, the lack of a sentence or two at the beginning to set up the story leaves the book flat. More of a connection could have been made to the senses. This could be remedied with guided reading. The illustrations are a bit blocky which works okay for the characters but does not work well when looking at different types of beaks, wings, and tails. Beware of stray boobs jutting out from illustrations that distract from the story.

All opinions are my own. Thank you to Net Galley for the eARC

I really enjoyed In the Woods. The illustrations are very charming and add a lot of personality to the characters that completely unrelated to the text - for example, one child has a curtain that is still up on the rod tied around her neck as a cape! It's a 50 page book, but it goes really fast and there is very little text on each page. The illustrations give a ton of opportunity to engage a child on every page and have a discussion about what you see. The last chunk of the book is instructive with two page spreads about using your senses, sounds from nature, and guidelines for visiting natural areas.

#IntheWoods #NetGalley

Excellent, fun and practical guide to exploring nature respectfully and learning outdoors. Great for families or the classroom. Full of tips and lovely illustrations.

In the story, In the Woods by Mariona Tolosa Sistere, A family makes plans to spend a day in the woods. Once there, they discover all types of interesting things by using their five senses.

In the Woods has beautiful and colorful illustrations. At the end of the book, the author talks about how you can use each of your five senses to explore the outdoors. The author also gives tips for exploring nature. In the Woods is a great book to use for teaching about the five senses, taking care of nature and planning for a trip in the wild. This book would also be a great read-aloud before going on a nature hike.

The premise was cute, but it was nothing impressive. I didn't really like the artwork, but the message was nice.

A wonderful story about how a family goes on a sensory journey into the woods to enjoy the sights, sounds, & smells of the nature around them. The family spies for animals and their footprints, plants and the fruits, leaves as they tread through the forest. Looking occasionally for creatures around them the story characters look for relevance in the nature book that they carry along with them.
Readers discern to look around for various parts of a tree to the various bird body parts like feathers. the book also gives a subtle message to protect and care for the trees and the forest.
We would have loved if the author would have added more experiences like details of specific creatures or included unique forest creatures , plants and trees.
Thanks to NetGalley for sharing ARC with us. @wordjellyreview

A great book to induce curiosity in the natural word. Illustrates all the wonderfulness of spending time in nature. Is not too text heavy and wonderfully illustrated. Would make a wonderful addition to any children’s /classroom library.

As a family who enjoys the outdoors and spends a lot of time in nature, I was expecting a bit more from this book. I think that it is a decent book with tips in the back for families who don’t spend much time in nature to learn to explore what is out there. I personally wasn’t drawn to the artwork in this book, but my three-year-old was drawn to the colours. The story itself is very simple and is best suited for children three and under.

Thank you to Owlkids Books, Owlkids and NetGalley or providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Sistere appeals to all of the senses as she takes readers on a walk through the woods. The moms and kids show us what to pack to be prepared and then model how to behave while out with nature. Readers can study the illustrations and find different pieces each time. Use this one to introduce nature walks before taking one. It prepares young readers for what they can find.
Adults - Be sure to read the informative text included at the end. Learn to engage all of the senses and the rules for interacting with nature.

In the Woods: An Adventure for Your Senses by Mariona Tolosa Sisteré (OwlKids Books, September 2023) is the in action tale of a family going on a walk in the woods. With bright paintings to show the action, parent and child dialogue tell of the smells, sights, sounds, and textures that the children and grownups experience through their walk in the woods.


Different perspectives, such as a look at the birds through the two round eyes of binoculars and pages from the children’s sketchbooks, give a unique look to the story. The bright and somewhat abstract illustrations add to the feeling of a whimsical child’s perspective, and it emphasizes that perfection and accuracy is not necessary as we draw in our nature notebooks (which the children are encouraged to do throughout their day). I love the part where a child complains, “There are no animals to draw.” The next page shows a child’s view underneath a rock, where a variety of insects squirm.

Multiple pages of end matter remind children of where to look for natural things: above, around, and under our feet. Tips for finding sensory things in nature (hearing, smelling, touching, and possibly tasting) are accompanied with a safety warning to get permission before touching or tasting.

The semi-abstract art style won’t be for everyone, but In the Woods shines as a visual adventure in picture book form. With the plan-for-a-hike scenes, the active journey portrayed with different views, and the vibrant dialog among the children and grownups, it becomes a sensory journey into the many things one can experience during a hike into the woods. It reminds me of our many homeschool group field trips into nature preserves, complete with the emotions and boo-boos that come from a romp in nature. What a nice glimpse into the joy we can all find in nature!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance review copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beautifully illustrated with bold colors and engaging details, this book teaches kids how to safely explore the outdoors while using their senses to experience the natural environment. Part story about a family hike, part instruction manual on how to plan and explore safely, this would be the ideal book to read with kids as you prepare for your own adventures. Discuss how the family in the book planned for their trip and acted to explore safely and respect the environment. Then plan for how you can make your adventure safe and respectful. Reflect on how the family used their senses to observe the environment and learn about the living things around them and then plan for how you can use your senses to make discoveries about your local environment.