Book Review: The Night the Forest Came to Town

The Night the Forest Came to Town by Charles Ghigna

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


LOVE this one! I am actually going to go and pick-up a copy to put in the toy box for all the children that visit my house.

Charles Ghigna has done a beautiful job of putting together a story that reads in verse. There is a rhythm to the story, a rhyming tone and pace that is just perfect. Additionally Ghigna has snuck in some complex words like: rendezvous, shimmer, shroud, azure blue; that children can learn as they hear the story over and over again. The illustrations are beautiful and I love how they go from twilight to dark, to darker, to lighter and the to daytime and colourful. The pacing and tone of the whole book is just perfect.

Additionally The Night the Forest Came to Town is a story about what is in the dark that isn't scary or something to fear but instead interesting or cute and cuddly. But unlike most stories about nighttime for children it never references the night as being scary or dark; instead it just talks about all the wonderful things that happen at night. I really like this approach to ignore that children may have fear and instead just talk about good things in the dark. This may help a child to understand that there was nothing to fear in the first place! Sometimes I wonder if books about not being afraid of the dark are just re-enforcing that the dark is scary. I'm sure there are two schools of thought on this and I don't know which is right; but I do love the perspective Ghigna uses here.

I can't give anymore of an endorsement than to tell you that this is on my list to purchase for my own (childless) house. It will go in the kids toy box for visitors but I could easily see myself being excited to read this lovely verse just because.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.


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