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The Woods and Wisp
Wisp, a small white rabbit with a shy disposition, has lived in the Northern Wood her entire life. She’s quite content working at her local apothecary and spending her days strolling down mossy forest paths. Her life would be just about perfect if it weren’t for the curse that has befallen her friend. Zephyr, an old, grumpy squirrel, has become increasingly reclusive and bitter as a result of a mysterious illness.
When Zephyr suddenly disappears, Wisp fears that her friend has gone to seek a cure in the Wild Wild, a sinister place from which most creatures never return. Soon after, a peculiar visitor arrives at the apothecary, warning Wisp that her friend is in desperate need of help. In order to save her, she must go on a quest to recover the missing pieces of Zephyr’s soul.
Facing her fear of the unknown, Wisp sets off on a journey to discover the truth behind the curse and find what has been lost.
The Woods and Wisp is a tale about facing the hidden layers of ourselves and the importance of holding hope within our hearts, even when we feel our inner light has grown dim.
A soft fairytale for adults and children alike who are seeking a cozy, low-stakes, non-stressful reading experience with themes of hope, dealing with anxiety, and managing mental health challenges.
When Zephyr suddenly disappears, Wisp fears that her friend has gone to seek a cure in the Wild Wild, a sinister place from which most creatures never return. Soon after, a peculiar visitor arrives at the apothecary, warning Wisp that her friend is in desperate need of help. In order to save her, she must go on a quest to recover the missing pieces of Zephyr’s soul.
Facing her fear of the unknown, Wisp sets off on a journey to discover the truth behind the curse and find what has been lost.
The Woods and Wisp is a tale about facing the hidden layers of ourselves and the importance of holding hope within our hearts, even when we feel our inner light has grown dim.
A soft fairytale for adults and children alike who are seeking a cozy, low-stakes, non-stressful reading experience with themes of hope, dealing with anxiety, and managing mental health challenges.
236 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 19, 2026
I’ve been following Paola on YouTube for many years and even have some of her artwork hanging in my house. I must admit, I’m always a little timid to pick up a book written by a YouTuber I follow, but this book was an instant favorite. It’s a book I can see myself revisiting again and again and hopefully even reading to a future child. It was so lovely, cozy, magical, and wholesome. The messages were thought provoking and the prose was just stunning. I felt as if Paola had taken a peek inside of my brain because this is my ultimate fantasy world. Highly recommend this to any sensitive souls who love woodland creatures and a little whimsy.
February 28, 2026
What a beautiful book! I am in awe with this book. I have followed Paola on Youtube for a very long time, she is a beautiful soul and you can learn so much from her and it shows in this book. Something she has always said is adults can read children books too and we can learn a lot from them. Although this is book is for both, I do not usually read a lot of books like this and I must say I encouraged anyone to do so. She is right you learn a lot from them and they have deeper meanings and messages. For me this book shows that! I feel like this book is about loving who you are and all the good and bad pieces that makes us human and no matter what journey we go on with ourselves or whatever adventure we go on to do. We also should love are earth more and what we have of it, it gives us life after all. There is so many more things I could say about this book! This is just at least some of my opinions on it. Really do encourage anyone to read this book.
February 18, 2026
For such a deeply touching story, it is only fitting to begin my review with the way it made me feel: expansive. That gripping emotion when encountering a world beyond its pages. It was not just the trees, the mushroom, the pixies, the flowers and stars however, it was seeing the universe itself in the pages as I leafed through them. And I don't just mean the ink shaping words, I mean that, the trees are there within the page in the most physical sense as well. There are not many authors that borught about such feelings, but the one thing they without a doubt shared, is their sensitivity to the present world you only develop by observing and listening.
There were many points I felt touched by in a rather profound way, not because the book contained an ancient lost knowledge on the inner working of the human heart, but because it presents the simple, everyday truths in such a delicate way. Simple things are sometimes the most complex for us to really, truly, without a doubt, understand. No, I mean, understand, by feeling it and accepting it without shying away from. There was a particular bit that I especially think fondly of:
ever slight spoiler warning if you already are a bit into the book
“This entire time, I was desperately hoping to find you so that this journey could end and we could go back to the Northern Wood. But I’m starting to realize that there is no end, not really. We must keep going, even when we arrive home.”
Wisp, Zephyr, fragments and everyone in this whimsical tale is all of us everywhere, and I hope to be able to reach for this book from time to time to remind myself to be "more a human 'being,' and less of a human 'doing.'"
edit: I just realized it was even published on my birthday. It cannot get better than that :)
There were many points I felt touched by in a rather profound way, not because the book contained an ancient lost knowledge on the inner working of the human heart, but because it presents the simple, everyday truths in such a delicate way. Simple things are sometimes the most complex for us to really, truly, without a doubt, understand. No, I mean, understand, by feeling it and accepting it without shying away from. There was a particular bit that I especially think fondly of:
ever slight spoiler warning if you already are a bit into the book
“This entire time, I was desperately hoping to find you so that this journey could end and we could go back to the Northern Wood. But I’m starting to realize that there is no end, not really. We must keep going, even when we arrive home.”
Wisp, Zephyr, fragments and everyone in this whimsical tale is all of us everywhere, and I hope to be able to reach for this book from time to time to remind myself to be "more a human 'being,' and less of a human 'doing.'"
edit: I just realized it was even published on my birthday. It cannot get better than that :)
February 14, 2026
This was such a cool and fun book. I love it. I really felt like I was transported into a different world.
April 11, 2026
Such a darling, whimsical tale of friendship, acceptance, and adventure. Paola weaves together charming observations of nature with heartfelt insight into human nature to create a narrative of self-discovery and wonder. I ordered this book being a longtime subscriber to Paola’s Youtube Channel: The Cottage Fairy; I was excited for her whimsical approach to life making its way into a story of anthropomorphized woodland animals. It didn’t disappoint! Her writing is beautifully descriptive and her world building felt full and immersive. The characterization was deep and reflective. A true fairy tale with a clear moral. Well done!
Wisp was such a relatable little rabbit, struggling with anxiety and self doubt. Her journey through her home woods, city and beyond was not just physical, but brought her confidence and understanding of herself, the meaning of friendship, and the greater world.
Zephyr’s Curse was perhaps the most insightful aspect of this story. How when faced with a situation that breaks one’s spirit, we can slough off parts of ourselves that we think no longer serve us, but in reality all we’re doing is depriving ourselves of living as our whole, authentic selves which can be detrimental to our soul. Every part of us deserves to be heard, seen, and known, even if those parts are tender, brusque, or sometimes bring you pain, they make up the whole of who we are. Zephyr’s Lost Pieces were a gem!
The only thing I didn’t care for as much in this book were the moments when the author was speaking directly to the reader in a fourth wall breaking way. She seemed to hammer the same point home time and time again in an on the nose manner. A little more subtlety wouldn’t have been amiss. For a book that was supposed to be a fairy tale for adults, it sometimes spoke as one would to a child: this is the lesson you should learn from this. It did fit with the narrative style, but a little less of it would have perhaps been better. Just a personal preference.
QUOTES
Wisp was such a relatable little rabbit, struggling with anxiety and self doubt. Her journey through her home woods, city and beyond was not just physical, but brought her confidence and understanding of herself, the meaning of friendship, and the greater world.
Zephyr’s Curse was perhaps the most insightful aspect of this story. How when faced with a situation that breaks one’s spirit, we can slough off parts of ourselves that we think no longer serve us, but in reality all we’re doing is depriving ourselves of living as our whole, authentic selves which can be detrimental to our soul. Every part of us deserves to be heard, seen, and known, even if those parts are tender, brusque, or sometimes bring you pain, they make up the whole of who we are. Zephyr’s Lost Pieces were a gem!
The only thing I didn’t care for as much in this book were the moments when the author was speaking directly to the reader in a fourth wall breaking way. She seemed to hammer the same point home time and time again in an on the nose manner. A little more subtlety wouldn’t have been amiss. For a book that was supposed to be a fairy tale for adults, it sometimes spoke as one would to a child: this is the lesson you should learn from this. It did fit with the narrative style, but a little less of it would have perhaps been better. Just a personal preference.
QUOTES
“Perhaps they are not all useful . . .but they are often very beautiful, or very strange, and I think those things are useful too…just in a different way.“
“You see, souls like to pretend they are whole even when they are not.”
“Starting a journey sure is easier than plodding on.”
“For every creature much stop sometimes and gaze at the stars. It is a rite of passage for every new soul.”
‘“I imagine that not all adventures are wanted, but they happen anyway,” Squeals shrugged. “Maybe only after you’ve gone and come back do you understand why you had to go in the first place.”’
“All creatures have the capacity to set out on a great quest without going anywhere at all. They a simply sit and wonder about the universe and their place within it. And just like that-poof!- an adventure begins. Wisp was beginning to suspect those were the journeys most worth taking. However, she also had to admit that traveling in the traditional sense had its merits.”
“Now I think you can be afraid and brave at the same time. I think one teaches you about the other and that’s how you find your courage.”
“An angry forest can be dangerous, especially if no creature takes the time to listen.”
April 3, 2026
This is one of the sweetest cottagecore type of stories one could read. I am so thankful that I got to pre-order it and support Paola Merrill in her second book (as I had for her first). I held off reading this until spring came out, which was definitely appropriate!
This is a story about a little white rabbit named Wisp who lives in the Northern Woods. Wisp has been an employee, helping a "witch" squirrel named Zephyr in her apothecary that she runs. The only problem is that Zephyr's been changing in different ways. Wisp is sure she must have some sort of "curse," but really, it is that she has something deeper going on. When Zephyr goes missing, Wisp sets off to go to Moon City outside of the woods to see if she Zephyr is there. She meets new friends and learns more about Zephyr's past and ways to help her out. It is a story about preserving nature, about healing from pains from the past, and about moving forward while accepting what has taken place.
It was very sweet and heartwarming. I am going to keep this special book so I can read it to my toddler for when he is older. I hope he'll love it as much as I did in reading it. It was very sweet and poetic too.
Two quotes I really loved in this story:
“You see, Wisp was starting to realize something very true about the nature of most living things. And it is that we are all rather complex. All the little pieces of us don’t always fit together in a perfect puzzle, and sometimes one part is at odds with another."
“Much like how the blanket of winter renews the forest for spring, time teaches us to enjoy what we have now, not what could be gained or lost.”
content: while there are mentions of "magic," and "witches" and "wizards" in this, there are no incantation, there are no spells, and really the "witch" works with herbs to help people with ailments and the wizard is like a magician you'd find at a birthday party who is just trying to make a living. The magic is really just the wonders of the natural world (with some extra interesting things some plants can do later on in the story). While a "curse" is brought up, it is brought up time and time again there is no curse, just something someone was going through that was causing some unhappiness. There is mention of a salamander who has limbs that fall off sometimes (and grow back). There is mention of a character packing a "crystal" in a bag, but it is only mentioned and nothing happens afterwards with it. There were two times that characters are mentioned as "swearing" or "cursing under their breath" but we don't know what they are saying. Pretty sure that was it.
This is a story about a little white rabbit named Wisp who lives in the Northern Woods. Wisp has been an employee, helping a "witch" squirrel named Zephyr in her apothecary that she runs. The only problem is that Zephyr's been changing in different ways. Wisp is sure she must have some sort of "curse," but really, it is that she has something deeper going on. When Zephyr goes missing, Wisp sets off to go to Moon City outside of the woods to see if she Zephyr is there. She meets new friends and learns more about Zephyr's past and ways to help her out. It is a story about preserving nature, about healing from pains from the past, and about moving forward while accepting what has taken place.
It was very sweet and heartwarming. I am going to keep this special book so I can read it to my toddler for when he is older. I hope he'll love it as much as I did in reading it. It was very sweet and poetic too.
Two quotes I really loved in this story:
“You see, Wisp was starting to realize something very true about the nature of most living things. And it is that we are all rather complex. All the little pieces of us don’t always fit together in a perfect puzzle, and sometimes one part is at odds with another."
“Much like how the blanket of winter renews the forest for spring, time teaches us to enjoy what we have now, not what could be gained or lost.”
content: while there are mentions of "magic," and "witches" and "wizards" in this, there are no incantation, there are no spells, and really the "witch" works with herbs to help people with ailments and the wizard is like a magician you'd find at a birthday party who is just trying to make a living. The magic is really just the wonders of the natural world (with some extra interesting things some plants can do later on in the story). While a "curse" is brought up, it is brought up time and time again there is no curse, just something someone was going through that was causing some unhappiness. There is mention of a salamander who has limbs that fall off sometimes (and grow back). There is mention of a character packing a "crystal" in a bag, but it is only mentioned and nothing happens afterwards with it. There were two times that characters are mentioned as "swearing" or "cursing under their breath" but we don't know what they are saying. Pretty sure that was it.
Read
May 26, 2026Wisp is a young, hopeful, and naive rabbit. Zephyr, Wisp’s mentor, is an old, lonely, and deeply depressed squirrel. Wisp wants to help, but she has to grow out of her “I-can-fix-it” mindset before she can even start to understand the “curse”. Although this is a book about talking creatures living in a magical forest, it is perhaps the most REAL story I have read in a long time. It is about real pain, and how it ripples out through a person, and what they need from their friends. In short, Hopecore at its finest.
The style of this story reminded me very much of Barrie’s Peter Pan, in that the author is telling you a story while also giving you information on real truths about life that are sometimes hard to understand. The narration of the plot will pause to tell the reader about some phenomenon about the world within the story, about souls, or stars, etc, having a very wandering and matter-of-fact cadence. In the case of The Woods and Wisp, it might feel a bit long winded at first, but, as the plot’s pace picks up, it becomes apparent why those breaks are so valuable. For myself, this narration style was hard to read at first, and resulted in the first third of the book taking a very long time to get through. But after that, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day. So if you start to read, and feel yourself getting lost in the weeds, KEEP GOING! It is so worth it!
The style of this story reminded me very much of Barrie’s Peter Pan, in that the author is telling you a story while also giving you information on real truths about life that are sometimes hard to understand. The narration of the plot will pause to tell the reader about some phenomenon about the world within the story, about souls, or stars, etc, having a very wandering and matter-of-fact cadence. In the case of The Woods and Wisp, it might feel a bit long winded at first, but, as the plot’s pace picks up, it becomes apparent why those breaks are so valuable. For myself, this narration style was hard to read at first, and resulted in the first third of the book taking a very long time to get through. But after that, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day. So if you start to read, and feel yourself getting lost in the weeds, KEEP GOING! It is so worth it!
March 5, 2026
Great little book. Paola does a good job of walking respectfully through many social and cultural systems. The story is part fantasy, also part allegory, and the author executes this well. She also wanted the book to appeal to children and to adults. I think she did this well too. At times I wondered if trying to do both may have interfered with her story, but by the end of the book I could only say that I appreciated the hard work Paola had put into this. The gentle and warm approach to difficult topics is something we so desperately need in this life. My daughter wants to read this now that I have finished. She relies on my reviews. If anybody else does, then I suggest getting this book and reading it for yourself. It is lightly woven, deftly handled, and a bit of a warm spot to add to your heart.
March 22, 2026
Such a sweet book! Paola, thank you for inviting us into your magical world. Thank you for reminding us of the beauty & abundance of Mother Earth. Thank you for writing about the importance of respecting the woods & all its creatures. Thank you for creating memorable and quite lovable characters.
Yesterday I finished your book. I went to a nearby park (Deep Cut Gardens). I met a tiny white mouse that had a brown spot on its face. I felt it came out of your story. Thank you for sending that little friend my way. It made me and my son stop on our way and marvel at its cuteness, its perfection.
I intent to read more fairy tales because I enjoy spending time with my inner child who craves this kind of experiences.
Yesterday I finished your book. I went to a nearby park (Deep Cut Gardens). I met a tiny white mouse that had a brown spot on its face. I felt it came out of your story. Thank you for sending that little friend my way. It made me and my son stop on our way and marvel at its cuteness, its perfection.
I intent to read more fairy tales because I enjoy spending time with my inner child who craves this kind of experiences.
April 5, 2026
The Woods and the Wisp by Paola Merrill felt like stepping back into childhood—soft, nostalgic, and deeply comforting.
At its heart, it’s a story about how life’s unexpected turns can make us lose pieces of ourselves—our wonder, our confidence, our sense of magic. But it gently reminds us that those pieces aren’t gone forever. They can be found again, loved for the journey they’ve taken, and embraced with new understanding.
It’s quiet, whimsical, and full of meaning—an invitation to accept where you are, stay open to the unknown, and maybe even find a little magic in getting lost.
And don’t forget to sit with a tree or sing to the stars ✨
At its heart, it’s a story about how life’s unexpected turns can make us lose pieces of ourselves—our wonder, our confidence, our sense of magic. But it gently reminds us that those pieces aren’t gone forever. They can be found again, loved for the journey they’ve taken, and embraced with new understanding.
It’s quiet, whimsical, and full of meaning—an invitation to accept where you are, stay open to the unknown, and maybe even find a little magic in getting lost.
And don’t forget to sit with a tree or sing to the stars ✨
April 21, 2026
Delightful and enchanting!
This is a sweet story about stepping into the unknown with courage, not knowing what you may find. About accepting and learning to love all the parts of yourself, even the ones you struggle with the most. About how getting to know yourself and love yourself can be its own great adventure.
It is about being open minded and curious and thankful and keeping an eye out for the healing magic around you. Especially in the woods.
I loved Wisp and Squeals and Flytrap and Zephyr so much I was sad to leave them.
The Woods and Wisp is heartfelt, uplifting, and full of real hope I will carry forward with me.
This is a sweet story about stepping into the unknown with courage, not knowing what you may find. About accepting and learning to love all the parts of yourself, even the ones you struggle with the most. About how getting to know yourself and love yourself can be its own great adventure.
It is about being open minded and curious and thankful and keeping an eye out for the healing magic around you. Especially in the woods.
I loved Wisp and Squeals and Flytrap and Zephyr so much I was sad to leave them.
The Woods and Wisp is heartfelt, uplifting, and full of real hope I will carry forward with me.
May 28, 2026
Loved the whimsical nature of this book! It was written so well, and so much like Paola that I could imagine her beautiful soothing voice reading it. This was a beautiful adventure book touching on the topic of mental health and how we all have parts of ourselves we love and don’t love so much, but they all make us part of who we are and we can learn from all the different parts of ourselves—the parts that get sad, scared, practical, hopeful, creative, pessimistic, optimistic—they all work together to make us who we are. Such a beautiful story of identity and how we find that through faithful community!
February 21, 2026
I loved The Woods and Wisp. It’s a gentle, enchanting, magical story that is also packed with deep wisdom.
The friendship between Wisp and Zephyr is sweet, loyal, and quietly powerful. Their bond is the heart of the book and lingers long after the last page.
The illustrations are adorable!! Paola shares so many pearls of wisdom in her signature natural, heartfelt way.
Even the packaging was magical. The book arrived beautifully wrapped and included the sweetest cards of Wisp and Zephyr that I’m going to frame. A true treasure from start to finish.
The friendship between Wisp and Zephyr is sweet, loyal, and quietly powerful. Their bond is the heart of the book and lingers long after the last page.
The illustrations are adorable!! Paola shares so many pearls of wisdom in her signature natural, heartfelt way.
Even the packaging was magical. The book arrived beautifully wrapped and included the sweetest cards of Wisp and Zephyr that I’m going to frame. A true treasure from start to finish.
February 20, 2026
This story was incredibly heartwarming. Vibes wise it reminds me some of Winnie the Pooh in terms of adventures, friendship, love of forest, adorable animals. It was whimsical and felt like a nostalgic bedtime story. Really enjoyed the potions aspect too and Slimy the snail has my heart. Also, stunning cover, illustrations, and bookmark. I have Paola's art all around my house and I'm so glad I purchased a copy of her story :D
March 23, 2026
Such an incredible book! I loved her first book “the cottage fairy companion” and this book was just as good. Just different. But incredible. I loved the whimsy, the message about healing and self acceptance. This book will be treasured for years to come. Thank you for writing such a sweet story. ❤️
March 1, 2026
This book was so sweet, enchanting and magical. I loved the characters, the ambiance and the story, and I loved how the author treated mental health so beautifully. It made me cry, made me feel seen and my god, what a beautiful ending.
Precioso.
Precioso.
April 13, 2026
Oh my, this story is a children’s classic that needs to sit on the shelf next to Charlotte’s Web. I will read this book to my grandchildren over and over. This is a story for the generations. Well done Paola Merrill and thank you for sharing.
May 25, 2026
"If you are not prepared to encounter the secret magic of hidden places, you may miss out on a quest as daring and noble as the one Wisp just accepted"
Paola was born to be a storyteller and illustrator 💫
Paola was born to be a storyteller and illustrator 💫
March 15, 2026
Beautiful, magical, special in every way.
March 20, 2026
A delightful story by a delightful author! It is great for children and adults alike. I might share a longer review later when I have the time.
March 21, 2026
The cutest little story ever.
March 22, 2026
What a beautiful story. The lessons to be found in the pages are priceless. The art work sprinkled throughout are a treat.
April 28, 2026
Super cute. I hit the hardcover from her so came with a cool artwork bookmark by her and 2 painted cards by her as well
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
April 30, 2026
Such a sweet, whimsical, adventurous, funny and emotional read by Paola, our beloved Cottage Fairy 🥰🥰 a beautiful language and feed for many thoughts!
May 2, 2026
Absolutely adorable, cozy read. Such a nice break from the real world!!! Loved this book.
March 28, 2026
This was the most sweet, whimsical book I’ve ever had the joy of reading!! Oh, to be a cutie little bunny named Wisp 🐰💕
April 28, 2026
Literally the cutest book ever. I loved how it had a lot more deeper meanings in it and helps you rethink and enjoy things in life. Also, the ending, so sweet. Made me tear up a bit. Absolutely 5/5 stars ❤️
April 24, 2026
Beautiful and magical and heartwarming and heartbreaking.
Everything at once.
Amazing!
Everything at once.
Amazing!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews