Forest Bath Right Down This Path

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.


This is a beautifully illustrated book highlighting some of the benefits of immersing yourself in nature. A gentle reminder to adults to put down the phone and be present with yourself, your child, and your surroundings.

As someone who takes forest baths every chance I get, I loved this picture book, the descriptions and illustrations were wonderfully immersive

This book so perfectly captures the feeling that overcomes me when I spend time in the woods alone. Forest bathing is all that it describes and leaves one with a sense of calm. I loved hearing all the senses explored as the father-daughter duo made their way through the forest. I can’t wait to buy this one for my boys.

Very much enjoyed this! Some of it was a little long, but overall great message! And I want to try forest bathing!

Thank you to Net Galley and Sounds True Publishing for this ARC to review.

This book has beautiful illustrations, a heartfelt story and poems throughout. It teaches us to slow down, put down our electronics and enjoy nature. Forest bathing can be done at any time of year and doesn't cost a thing. It helps us receive a sense of balance in a very fast paced world. I would share this with my Kindergarten class. For the last few months of the year, we have Forest Fridays in our class. We walk to a forested area nearby and explore. Sometimes we have a provocation in mind like, what do you see? Hear? Smell? This book fits into our curriculum and lets us see that not all learning exists inside.

“Stroll here and there. Breathe long and deep. Wander and wonder.” My thanks to NetGalley , Sounds True Publishing, author Lisa Robinson and illustrator Khoa Le for an early arc. Kayla wants to go to the forest with her dad and her stuffed bunny. It took a little convincing for her dad to join her. In the forest she experiences all sorts of sounds and textures and immerses her feet in a stream. She connects with nature and her dad finally surrenders and joins her. This picture book feels like a warm hug. It took me back to the days when I used to play in the little forest at my uncle’s land and the times when I used to go outside to the orchard that was around my house as soon as I wake up. I used to spend hours playing with the soil shaded under the apricot trees. When I look back to those days fond memories emerge and warm my heart. It made me wonder why I stopped walking between the trees and grabbing handfuls of dirt. Well, maybe I should go back to making these strolls with my children now.

This book is a must-have for every household with an affinity for quality time and nature. Kayla and her father enjoy a captivating adventure through the forest and teach readers about different plants and animals, as well as mindfulness, along the way. I love this gentle reminder for parents to stay grounded in what's happening around them, instead of their phones and gadgets. Not only is this book filled with captivating illustrations of nature, it also features a multiracial household with a nice subtle nod to inclusivity.

A lovely take on mindfulness and connecting with nature (and each other!). Kayla and her father are in the forest, presumably for a picnic and to spend time in nature, but Kayla's dad is stuck on his cell phone. Through gentle reminders and invitations to engage with their surroundings, Kayla convinces her dad to disconnect and reconnect. While it would have been great to see a more explicitly reflective moment from Dad about what he's taken away from the experience, both kids and adults will appreciate the all-too-familiar experience of needing to turn away from technology to be present in the moment. I especially appreciated the use of contrasting fonts to indicate which parts of the text served as a sort of guided meditation, and the author's note at the end of the book could spur great classroom discussion or plans for a weekend trip to the woods.

Such a great book to inspire children to connect with nature in a mindful and meaningful way. I love that the author provides further information about forest bathing at the end and writes about her own experience and fond memories of her time spent exploring in the forest as a child. One thing I wish were different is the mention multiple times about the girl's father's cell phone usage. I can see what the author was trying to do by pointing it out, but I think kids are observant enough to see this in their parents or other adults and don't need it mentioned in order to connect with and enjoy a book about nature.

A great message for all of us! A must for today's society.

A little girl wants to spend time with her father. Father is too busy on his cell phone. She takes him for a forest bath. Will her father put down his phone?

Everyone needs to read this.

If ever there was a story that felt purposefully curated for my boys, this would be it.
I'll speak for myself, as a mom, that there are more times that I would like to admit where technology becomes a distraction from being present and experiencing what is happening in the now.
We began the practice of forest bathing in the height of Covid when everything seemed unavailable, except nature. The author does a tremendous job of capturing the sensory adventure that is experiencing a forest.
I loved that it was a gentle reminder to be present for our kids without parent shaming and that it makes forest bathing so appealing-both to regulars and novices alike. This book would be a great addition to a home or school library for elementary aged children.
The illustrations are bright and whimsical as well.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for a review.

Forest Bath Right Down This Path introduces forest bathing to kids. Forest Bathing is walking in a forest and soaking in all the sights and smells of the forest. Forest Bathing has benefits. It reduces anxiety and induces calmness.

In this book, Kayla goes to Forest Bathing with her father on a hot summer day. Kayla walks in the forest of maple, spruce, and pine trees. She meanders along the path, feels the rocks with her feet, smells the forest, looks at the sunlight dappling through the trees, and dips her feet in a cool stream. The book also introduces the animals and birds native to the forest.

Forest Bath Right Down This Path is a book meant to be read and then experienced by taking a forest bath.

The first-page pops! I love the use of white space with the tree. The illustrations throughout are all great and very colorful. I enjoyed the book, the illustrations were my favorite part. It had a good message too of enjoying what's around you (both nature & those that matter) and getting off your phone.

This book is the first book I have seen to tackle the topic of parents/caregivers being on their phone and not available for their children and I loved it. It really hit home for me as a mom of 4 kids. 3 of my children were born before smart phones and raising a young child with smartphones everywhere is particularly challenging. This book really helped to remind me why it is important to put my phone away.

I really enjoyed the message and the imagery of this book. I felt like I was walking in the forest with the characters while I was reading.

My latest picture book obsession is by @author_lisarobinson with illustrations by @khoa.le.artwork. The use of text and poetry has just completely captivated and got my mind working overtime.

I received an arc from @netgalley as the book is not released until July but you can find find the link in my bio if you are intrigued. I think I need a physical copy of this to add to my collection.

Detailed review below...


Through insightful writing, inspiring poetry, and stunning illustrations by Khoa Le, Lisa Robinson's beautiful book "Forest Bath Right Down This Path" celebrates the advantages of spending time in nature. The addition of poetry lends the book a sense of rhythm and flow, enhancing the tranquil and meditative atmosphere. The poem invites readers to engage their senses by uniquely capturing the essence of the forest bathing experience. The poetry and text are perfectly complemented by Khoa Le's illustrations, which contribute to the book's sense of continuity and harmony. Readers are transported to a place of tranquility and mindfulness by the lush illustrations of wildlife, rivers, and forests. A truly immersive and captivating reading experience that is sure to inspire and rejuvenate readers is created by the combination of the writing by Lisa Robinson, the poetry that is included, and the illustrations by Khoa Le. Overall, "Forest Bath Right Down This Path" is a beautiful and informative book that highlights the beauty and benefits of nature as well as the importance of taking time to be present outside.

#ForestBathRightDownThisPath #NatureWriting #MindfulnessReading #BeautifulBooks #BookLoversCommunity #ReadMoreBooks #Bookstagram

This is such a cute book that is a great explanation of forest baths, and a good reminder for adults to put down their phones around kids. The illustrations are beautiful, and an adult being taught a new skill by a child is a nice change of pace as well.

This was a whimsical book that we enjoyed reading. My children enjoyed how the little girl took her father on a walk, but as a parent it also convicted me to be more present with my children. This book is enjoyable for young children, but also for parents also.

My kids loved this beautiful story, and the illustrations were stunning! This book was a gentle reminder to put down the phone or whatever is distracting a parent from their child and be present at the moment with them. We miss so much these days by being too connected to the world outside our present moment.

Kayla decided to go for a forest bath, a term used for a process of relaxation. This is a pychological and physiological exercise started as 'shinrin-yoku' in Japan.

She tried to convince her father for it but that took her pre-session of pychological exercise of another kind, LOL.
She experienced the nature in her very variant way. Sunlight filtered through the branches of trees, scent of soil and breezing in forest along with icy-current of flowing stream, etc.

This was a good induction on the topic via this picture book and people should often do this exercise to get de-stressed and boost their health.

This has a girl teach her father to take a forest bath – the experience of experiencing a woodland with as many senses as possible, hearing the sussuration and animals, feeling the grit between your toes, touching the bark lit up by dampness and sunlight to produce the distinctive forest aromas. The father is annoyingly stuck on his mobile phone until she gets him to fully join in, and oddly visuals make him a bit of a hipster, therefore someone who ought to know better. But the visuals are fine for this kind of thing, and while the text does verge on a mindfulness lesson once or twice, the more poetic side of things matches well with the simple conversation and instruction between daughter and dad.