A MYSTERY IN THE FOREST

Deer, who has a talent for treats, tracks down a disruptive force in this Spanish import.

When his routine of collecting ingredients in the quietest part of the forest and turning them into sweet jams, cakes, and pies for a daily feast is disrupted, Deer must investigate. Who would be so rude as to run roughshod over the forest area where Deer goes every day, to break into Deer’s home, and, most egregiously, to take his Secret Recipe Book? The chef’s anxiety-inducing journey leads him to the home of Rabbit, who turns out to be a nervous, lonely creature. Even after Deer shouts at him, the pitiful rabbit still wishes he could bake like Deer so that “more people would come to see me. I thought I could be like you!” What happens next in Isern’s follow-up to The Lonely Mailman (2017) hinges on an act of kindness so perfect it would be a different kind of crime to spoil it here. As in Mailman, Montero Galán’s illustrations capture the lives of these anthropomorphic animals with warm, natural hues, whether it’s the darkening sky of sunset after a frustrating day or the winding path taken through all the neighbors’ homes by the aroma from Deer’s kitchen. Rabbit’s emotions, in particular, are heartbreaking as rendered, the huge orange eyes practically twitching off the page.

This lovely book about forgiveness shows that friendship can form even in the most unlikely situations.