IN THE WOODS

A family takes a trip to the woods, learning lessons along the way about how to care for the natural world.

Three children and their parent check the weather and plan an outing for the following day. They look at a map of their destination and then lay out what they’ll need to take. Wearing helmets, they bike to the park. As they explore, one child draws, one collects treasures, and the smallest tot sticks close to the parent. A ranger stops one child and a newfound friend from climbing and harming a tree, and in another scene, the parent provides minor first aid to a child with an injured knee. After the family members wave goodbye to their new buddies and take a selfie, it’s time to bike home. The extensive backmatter offers information on seasonal changes, guidance on using all five senses to appreciate nature, and recommendations for getting outdoors.  TolosaSisteré’s pages are full of bright colors, though readers may sometimes have trouble parsing the busy illustrations. The depictions of people are stylized, with long arms, large heads, and strangely shaped noses. The park-goers are diverse, and the featured family has brown skin and black hair, a demographic that’s often left out in books about getting out in nature.

It’s nice to see a family enjoying the great outdoors and each other.