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مهمانی عصرانه در جنگل
Kiko realizes that her father has forgotten the cake her mother bought for her grandmother, so she decides to follow him. It turns out she was following a bear, who leads her to a delightful tea party in the woods. They give her a delightful surprise to bring to Grandma's.
Paperback
First published November 1, 2010
6 people are currently reading
1296 people want to read
About the author
Akiko Miyakoshi
14 books110 followersAkiko Miyakoshi (1982–) was born in Saitama Prefecture, and graduated from the Department of Visual Communication Design at Musashino Art University. Her picture book Taifū ga kuru (Typhoon Comes) won the Nissan Children’s Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix in 2009, and her Mori no oku no ochakai e (The Tea Party in the Woods) garnered the Japan Picture Book Awards Grand Prize in 2011. Her other works include Piano no happyōkai (Piano Recital) and Kore dare no? (Whose Is This?).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
August 14, 2021
Kikko followed her father all the way to a strange house.
Has it always been here? Kikko wondered? She couldn't remember having seen it before.
The Tea Party in the Woods -- by Akiko Miyakoshi
Beautifully drawn, the writing is simple and pure. I loved this book. Words here fail me, so I'll let the pictures do the talking for me ...
Has it always been here? Kikko wondered? She couldn't remember having seen it before.
The Tea Party in the Woods -- by Akiko Miyakoshi
Beautifully drawn, the writing is simple and pure. I loved this book. Words here fail me, so I'll let the pictures do the talking for me ...
May 9, 2018
I read Red and I saw another Goodreads reviewer suggested this would pair nicely with that book. Both are alternative versions of Red Riding Hood. Tea Party features mostly charcoal drawings and the color red featured in her hat and gloves. The story takes place in winter where Dad has already left to go through the woods to Grandma's house and Mom lets Red try to catch up. . . but fails to, encountering another house, with animals, dressed up.
Don't go in the house! would be the theme, if this were horror, but instead Red is warmly welcomed, doesn't stay long, and they accompany her safely to Grandma's house. When she looks back to thank them, they are . . . gone! Poof! Was it a winter daydream? This feels short, a little slight, but sweet, dream-like, beautifully drawn.
Note to writing teacher self: A good idea would be--at any level--to read a couple standard versions of Red Riding Hood, then these two books, ask what is required to be a Red Riding Hood book, create that rubric with them, and then invite them to write heir own books. Useful for learning genre and story forms.
Don't go in the house! would be the theme, if this were horror, but instead Red is warmly welcomed, doesn't stay long, and they accompany her safely to Grandma's house. When she looks back to thank them, they are . . . gone! Poof! Was it a winter daydream? This feels short, a little slight, but sweet, dream-like, beautifully drawn.
Note to writing teacher self: A good idea would be--at any level--to read a couple standard versions of Red Riding Hood, then these two books, ask what is required to be a Red Riding Hood book, create that rubric with them, and then invite them to write heir own books. Useful for learning genre and story forms.
March 15, 2016
Originally published in 2010 in Japan under the title Mori no Oku no Ochakai e, Kids Can Press translated and reprinted this edition in 2015. It’s a delightful book sketched mostly in black and white. In it, Kikko sets out to deliver a homemade pie to her grandmother through a wooded winter land. In the process she drops and ruins the pie. Lost and in despair, she comes across an interesting tea party in the woods full of furry, helpful friends.
I’ve yet to come across a Kids Can Press book that I didn’t like. The authors and stories they choose are always unique and whimsical. This would make a lovely addition to my shelves.
I’ve yet to come across a Kids Can Press book that I didn’t like. The authors and stories they choose are always unique and whimsical. This would make a lovely addition to my shelves.
June 15, 2025
بیستوپنجم خرداد سال چهار و من از شدت استیصال دوباره رو آوردهم به خوندن کتاب کودک.
قصه ماجرای خاصی نداشت اما نقاشیها رویایی بودن و در تضاد کامل با تصاویری که در ذهنم میچرخن.
برف، جنگل، حیوانات، یه پای از میوهها و آجیلهای جنگل. برف. دنیای بینقص و بیجنگ. مادربزرگ. موسیقی.
قصه ماجرای خاصی نداشت اما نقاشیها رویایی بودن و در تضاد کامل با تصاویری که در ذهنم میچرخن.
برف، جنگل، حیوانات، یه پای از میوهها و آجیلهای جنگل. برف. دنیای بینقص و بیجنگ. مادربزرگ. موسیقی.
December 28, 2015
There are picture books out there that feel like short films. Some of the time they’re adapted into them (as with The Snowman or The Lost Thing or Lost and Found) and sometimes they’re made in tandem ( The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore). And some of the time you know, deep in your heart of hearts, that they will never see the silver screen. That they will remain perfect little evocative pieces that seep deep into the softer linings of a child’s brain, changing them, affecting them, and remaining there for decades in some form. The Tea Party in the Woods is like that. It looks on first glance like what one might characterize to be a “quiet” book. Upon further consideration, however, it is walking the tightrope between fear and comfort. We are in safe hands from the start to the finish but there’s no moment when you relax entirely. In this strangeness we find a magnificent book.
Having snowed all night, Kikko’s father takes off through the woods to shovel out the walk of her grandmother. When he forgets to bring along the pie Kikko’s mother baked for the occasion, Kikko takes off after him. She knows the way but when she spots him in the distance she smashes the pie in her excitement. Catching up, there’s something strange about her father. He enters a house she’s never seen before. Upon closer inspection, the man inside isn’t a man at all but a bear. A sweet lamb soon invites Kikko in, and there she meets a pack of wild animals, all polite as can be and interested in her. When she confesses to having destroyed her grandmother’s cake, they lend her slices of their own, and then march her on her way with full musical accompaniment.
Part of what I like so much about this book is that when a kid reads it they’re probably just taking it at face value. Girl goes into woods, hangs out with clothed furry denizens, and so on, and such. Adults, by contrast, are bringing to the book all sorts of literary, cinematic, and theatrical references of their own. A girl entering the woods with red on her head so as to reach her grandmother’s reeks of Little Red Riding Hood (and I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of a wolf at the tea party). The story of a girl wandering into the woods on her own and meeting the wild denizens who live there for a feast makes the book feel like a best case fairy encounter scenario. In this light the line, “You’re never alone in the woods”, so comforting here, takes on an entirely different feel. Some have mentioned comparisons to Alice in Wonderland as well, but the tone is entirely different. This is more akin to the meal with the badgers in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe than anything Lewis Carroll happened to cook up.
Yet it is the art that is, in many ways, the true allure. Kirkus compared the art to both minimalist Japanese prints as well as Dutch still life’s. Miyakoshi does indeed do marvelous things with light, but to my mind it’s the use of color that’s the most impressive. Red and yellow and the occasional hint of orange/peach appear at choice moments. Against a sea of black and white they draw your eye precisely to where it needs to go. That said, I felt it was Miyakoshi’s artistic choices that impressed me most. Nowhere is this more evident than when Kikko enters the party for the first time, every animal in the place staring at her. It’s a magnificent image. The best in the book by far. Somehow, Miyakoshi was able to draw this scene in such a way where the expressions on the animals’ faces are ambiguous. It isn’t just that they are animals. First and foremost, it seems clear that they are caught entirely unguarded in Kikko’s presence. The animals that had been playing music have stopped mid-note. And I, an adult, looked at this scene and (as I mentioned before) applied my own interpretation on how things could go. While it would be conceivable for Kikko to walk away from the party unscathed, in the hands of another writer she could easily have ended up the main course. That is probably why Miyakoshi follows up that two-page spread (which should have been wordless, but that’s neither here nor there) with an immediate scene of friendly, comforting words and images. The animals not only accept Kikko’s presence, they welcome her, are interested in her, and even help her when they discover her plight (smashing her grandmother’s pie). Adults everywhere who have found themselves unaccompanied (and even uninvited) at parties where they knew no one, and will recognize in this a clearly idyllic, unapologetically optimistic situation. In other words, perfect picture book fodder.
Translation is a delicate art. Done well, it creates some of our greatest children’s literature masterpieces. Done poorly and the book just melts away from the publishing world like mist, as if it was never there. Because I do not have a final copy of this book in hand, I don’t know if the translator for this book is ever named. Whoever they are, I think they knew precisely how to tackle it. Originally published in what I believe to be Japan, I marvel even now at how the story opens. The first line reads, “That morning, Kikko had awoken to a winter wonderland.” We are plunged into the story in such as way as to believe that we’ve been reading about Kikko for quite some time. It doesn’t say “One morning”, which is a distinction of vast importance. It says “That morning” and we are left to consider why that choice was made. What happened before “That morning” that led up to the events of this particular day? Whole short stories have been conjured from less. I love it.
If none of the reasons I’ve mentioned do it for you, consider this: On the cover of this book perches a squirrel in a bright red party dress in the crook of a tree. Tiny squirrel. Tiny red flowing gown. A detail you might easily miss the first ten times you read this book but it is there and just makes the book for me. Add in the tone, the light, the mood, and the writing itself and you have a book that will be remembered long after the name has faded from its readers’ minds. Something about this book will stick with your kids for all time. If you want something that feels classic and safely dangerous, Miyakoshi’s book is a rare piece of comfortable animal noir. No one is alone in the woods and after this book no one would want to be.
For ages 3-6
Having snowed all night, Kikko’s father takes off through the woods to shovel out the walk of her grandmother. When he forgets to bring along the pie Kikko’s mother baked for the occasion, Kikko takes off after him. She knows the way but when she spots him in the distance she smashes the pie in her excitement. Catching up, there’s something strange about her father. He enters a house she’s never seen before. Upon closer inspection, the man inside isn’t a man at all but a bear. A sweet lamb soon invites Kikko in, and there she meets a pack of wild animals, all polite as can be and interested in her. When she confesses to having destroyed her grandmother’s cake, they lend her slices of their own, and then march her on her way with full musical accompaniment.
Part of what I like so much about this book is that when a kid reads it they’re probably just taking it at face value. Girl goes into woods, hangs out with clothed furry denizens, and so on, and such. Adults, by contrast, are bringing to the book all sorts of literary, cinematic, and theatrical references of their own. A girl entering the woods with red on her head so as to reach her grandmother’s reeks of Little Red Riding Hood (and I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of a wolf at the tea party). The story of a girl wandering into the woods on her own and meeting the wild denizens who live there for a feast makes the book feel like a best case fairy encounter scenario. In this light the line, “You’re never alone in the woods”, so comforting here, takes on an entirely different feel. Some have mentioned comparisons to Alice in Wonderland as well, but the tone is entirely different. This is more akin to the meal with the badgers in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe than anything Lewis Carroll happened to cook up.
Yet it is the art that is, in many ways, the true allure. Kirkus compared the art to both minimalist Japanese prints as well as Dutch still life’s. Miyakoshi does indeed do marvelous things with light, but to my mind it’s the use of color that’s the most impressive. Red and yellow and the occasional hint of orange/peach appear at choice moments. Against a sea of black and white they draw your eye precisely to where it needs to go. That said, I felt it was Miyakoshi’s artistic choices that impressed me most. Nowhere is this more evident than when Kikko enters the party for the first time, every animal in the place staring at her. It’s a magnificent image. The best in the book by far. Somehow, Miyakoshi was able to draw this scene in such a way where the expressions on the animals’ faces are ambiguous. It isn’t just that they are animals. First and foremost, it seems clear that they are caught entirely unguarded in Kikko’s presence. The animals that had been playing music have stopped mid-note. And I, an adult, looked at this scene and (as I mentioned before) applied my own interpretation on how things could go. While it would be conceivable for Kikko to walk away from the party unscathed, in the hands of another writer she could easily have ended up the main course. That is probably why Miyakoshi follows up that two-page spread (which should have been wordless, but that’s neither here nor there) with an immediate scene of friendly, comforting words and images. The animals not only accept Kikko’s presence, they welcome her, are interested in her, and even help her when they discover her plight (smashing her grandmother’s pie). Adults everywhere who have found themselves unaccompanied (and even uninvited) at parties where they knew no one, and will recognize in this a clearly idyllic, unapologetically optimistic situation. In other words, perfect picture book fodder.
Translation is a delicate art. Done well, it creates some of our greatest children’s literature masterpieces. Done poorly and the book just melts away from the publishing world like mist, as if it was never there. Because I do not have a final copy of this book in hand, I don’t know if the translator for this book is ever named. Whoever they are, I think they knew precisely how to tackle it. Originally published in what I believe to be Japan, I marvel even now at how the story opens. The first line reads, “That morning, Kikko had awoken to a winter wonderland.” We are plunged into the story in such as way as to believe that we’ve been reading about Kikko for quite some time. It doesn’t say “One morning”, which is a distinction of vast importance. It says “That morning” and we are left to consider why that choice was made. What happened before “That morning” that led up to the events of this particular day? Whole short stories have been conjured from less. I love it.
If none of the reasons I’ve mentioned do it for you, consider this: On the cover of this book perches a squirrel in a bright red party dress in the crook of a tree. Tiny squirrel. Tiny red flowing gown. A detail you might easily miss the first ten times you read this book but it is there and just makes the book for me. Add in the tone, the light, the mood, and the writing itself and you have a book that will be remembered long after the name has faded from its readers’ minds. Something about this book will stick with your kids for all time. If you want something that feels classic and safely dangerous, Miyakoshi’s book is a rare piece of comfortable animal noir. No one is alone in the woods and after this book no one would want to be.
For ages 3-6
May 15, 2019
This is a lovely story with beautiful, magical, sensitive illustrations. Kikko's father goes to visit his mother but leaves behind the pie he was meant to take. Kikko follows with the pie. Having only just left she follows her father's footsteps in the snow through the woods until she sees him enter a house she has never seen before. Looking through the window she realises it is not her father but a bear. Soon the animals see her outside and invite her in for a tea party. After the tea party, having realised the original pie is squashed they cut her slices of their pies and escort her to Grandma's to deliver the treat safely.
The illustrations really are wonderful, the building and woods are so skilful they look photographed. The animals expressions are spot on, we loved their round staring eyes, the light and dark and their instruments. The girls face let the illustrations down for us, dots for eyes and very cartoon expressions. Perhaps this was intended, to make the animals more real? Personally I don't like a mix between realistic and cartoon, but on the whole the illustrations were lovely.
The story is very calm and reassuring, the pictures and text are gentle so it's ideal for a bedtime story. If I read this to small children I would probably feel the need to make sure they understood that you don't go into someone's house whom you've not met before, especially when out alone but other than that a very nice book.
The illustrations really are wonderful, the building and woods are so skilful they look photographed. The animals expressions are spot on, we loved their round staring eyes, the light and dark and their instruments. The girls face let the illustrations down for us, dots for eyes and very cartoon expressions. Perhaps this was intended, to make the animals more real? Personally I don't like a mix between realistic and cartoon, but on the whole the illustrations were lovely.
The story is very calm and reassuring, the pictures and text are gentle so it's ideal for a bedtime story. If I read this to small children I would probably feel the need to make sure they understood that you don't go into someone's house whom you've not met before, especially when out alone but other than that a very nice book.
December 19, 2017
Great art. Good story. I personally would've liked it a little longer, but this was probably correct for the intended age group.
If I were Kikko I would totally have stayed for the tea party instead of hurrying dutifully on my errand.
If I were Kikko I would totally have stayed for the tea party instead of hurrying dutifully on my errand.
June 12, 2023
داستان خیلی عجیبی بود.
اینکه در جنگلی گم بشی همراه با کیکی که قرار بوده برای مادربزرگ ببری، کسانی راه رو بهت نشون میدن و کمکت میکنند که اصلا انتظار نداری.
اینکه در جنگلی گم بشی همراه با کیکی که قرار بوده برای مادربزرگ ببری، کسانی راه رو بهت نشون میدن و کمکت میکنند که اصلا انتظار نداری.
June 16, 2015
This is a delightful children's picture book, the story of a young girl's walk through the woods on the way to her grandmother's house with a pie. Yes it echoes some other tales but it is distinctive in the use of gentle and welcoming animals in the woods, depicted in charcoal drawings (everything is largely black and white in this winter tale). I do recommend this to share with children in your life.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
August 8, 2021
Evocative of Red Riding Hood, a young girl follows her father into the woods to deliver a pie he forgot to her grandmother. Instead, she ends up at a terrific tea with a number of different, well-dressed, polite and inviting animals.
The charcoal-like drawings have a dreamy, serene quality, as does the winter afternoon setting.
The charcoal-like drawings have a dreamy, serene quality, as does the winter afternoon setting.
July 31, 2021
داستان به غایت لطیف و شیرین و خیال انگیز و خوشمزه
تصویرپردازیا فوق العاده و خیره کننده
تصویرپردازیا فوق العاده و خیره کننده
September 26, 2018
This wasn't really what I was expecting... but more on that in a moment. This is a cute little story about a girl who's on her way to her grandmother's house when she stumbles upon a very strange tea party in the woods. The animals are all very kind and welcoming, and help her solve her dilemma. The illustrations are an intriguing mix of cartoonish and realistic, with a bit of creepiness thrown in (there was one illustration in particular, where all the animals were looking at Kikko, that was a little unnerving). Overall, I quite liked the story and the tone.
There was one thing I found a bit confusing, though. (This doesn't affect my rating at all, but I just wanted to point it out.) When I picked this one up, I noted the Japanese author, and then saw that it had been translated from the Japanese. So I expected a story with Japanese flavour and characters. Instead, I got a very European-flavoured fairytale with a little blonde heroine. I was dismayed when, earlier this year, I saw that some people had down-rated the absolutely adorable Natsumi! simply because neither the author nor illustrator were Japanese. The Tea Party in the Woods highlights the problem of doing this; if the Japanese books made available to English-speaking readers don't feature Japanese culture, it seems unfair to penalize non-Japanese authors for filling that gap.
In any case, judging this book simply by the story and pictures, it's a lovely little picture book with a whimsical feel that offers a sweet look at the kindness of strangers.
There was one thing I found a bit confusing, though. (This doesn't affect my rating at all, but I just wanted to point it out.) When I picked this one up, I noted the Japanese author, and then saw that it had been translated from the Japanese. So I expected a story with Japanese flavour and characters. Instead, I got a very European-flavoured fairytale with a little blonde heroine. I was dismayed when, earlier this year, I saw that some people had down-rated the absolutely adorable Natsumi! simply because neither the author nor illustrator were Japanese. The Tea Party in the Woods highlights the problem of doing this; if the Japanese books made available to English-speaking readers don't feature Japanese culture, it seems unfair to penalize non-Japanese authors for filling that gap.
In any case, judging this book simply by the story and pictures, it's a lovely little picture book with a whimsical feel that offers a sweet look at the kindness of strangers.
August 19, 2015
If only more picture books were this weird and awesome at the same time.
March 27, 2019
When her father forgets the pie he is meant to take to her grandmother's house, young Kikko sets off through the snowy forest after him. Thinking she sees him in the distance, she follows along, only to discover that it is a bear she has been trailing, and that he has led her to a strange, magical house in the middle of the woods, where a group of animal friends is having tea. After being invited to join them, Kikko shares her trouble - she has dropped the pie and ruined it - and the animals all pitch in to replace the damaged pastry, eventually escorting her to her grandmother's house...
Originally published in Japan in 2010, and translated into English in 2015, The Tea Party in the Woods is a lovely picture-book, one which pairs a gentle and appealing story of winter-time woodland magic with absolutely beautiful artwork. Akiko Miyakoshi's book has a contemporary, yet somehow also timeless feeling to it, and seems to be an exploration of some classic fairy-tale themes, from the child lost in the wood to the helpful animal companions. I thought of Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White , but those are Western tales, and it is entirely possible Miyakoshi was referencing Japanese lore of which I am ignorant. It is also possible there are no deliberate story references at all, although the echoes for this reader (whether intentional or no) were most welcome. Recommended to readers looking for magical children's stories about the woods in winter, as well as to those interested in Japanese picture-books. I will definitely be tracking down more of Miyakoshi's work!
Originally published in Japan in 2010, and translated into English in 2015, The Tea Party in the Woods is a lovely picture-book, one which pairs a gentle and appealing story of winter-time woodland magic with absolutely beautiful artwork. Akiko Miyakoshi's book has a contemporary, yet somehow also timeless feeling to it, and seems to be an exploration of some classic fairy-tale themes, from the child lost in the wood to the helpful animal companions. I thought of Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White , but those are Western tales, and it is entirely possible Miyakoshi was referencing Japanese lore of which I am ignorant. It is also possible there are no deliberate story references at all, although the echoes for this reader (whether intentional or no) were most welcome. Recommended to readers looking for magical children's stories about the woods in winter, as well as to those interested in Japanese picture-books. I will definitely be tracking down more of Miyakoshi's work!
December 31, 2020
Yılın son kitabıydı ve yeni bir yıla başlarken içimi umutla, mutlulukla doldurdu. Kendisini " Aşık Olduğum Kitaplar" rafına koyuyorum ❤
July 24, 2017
“You’re never alone in the woods.”
The Tea Party in the Woods is a lovely read filled with gorgeous illustrations, dashes of color, furry friends, and wonderful messages of sharing and support. I loved looking at the little details in the pictures. Plus a bear in a hat always makes me smile. :D
An adorable read that made me *sigh* and say “that was nice” at the end. Sometimes I feel like it’s getting harder and harder to find a simple, sweet story with a heartwarming lesson. This one delivers!
Check it out from your local Library.
July 30, 2015
Feast for the eyes, stunningly beautiful. One feels the texture of the paper and the chalk under one's fingers. And wouldn't we all want to find such company in the woods?:)
December 19, 2018
عنوان ترجمه ی فارسی: مهمانی عصرانه در جنگل
August 6, 2017
Mostly black and white charcole drawings with red and yellow in them. Very stark with the theme of winter. The story is warm and inviting. It is simple and a way I can't describe. I really enjoyed this story myself. This is one that my niece keeps asking for.
May 22, 2016
I finally read this gem. It just seems like a classic. I love the story and the wonderful pictures! A beautiful, magical and kind story.
December 30, 2020
A delightful story for children with such beautiful illustrations.
November 26, 2015
My goodness, the illustrations in this one are wonderful! I'm no expert on this, but I believe everything has been drawn with crayons, using black mostly, but with colour splashes here and there, giving the book an eerie fairytale-like atmosphere.
It all begins with a Little Red Riding Hood retelling: a little girl sets out into the woods to bring a pie to her grandmother. I kept thinking it was about to get very creepy and if this hadn't been a children's book, the horror options would've been endless. Yet, it was a children's book and nothing creepy happened...I think. The illustrations make this a great picture book to read together with your children. Or someone else's children of course.
If you just like to look at pretty drawings and/or suggestive creepiness yourself, I would also recommend spending a few bucks on this one! A lovely asset to any bookshelf. I give it 4.5 brownies, because it totally depends on your mindset what you make of this book. After reading a lot of webcomics from Emily Caroll recently, I was expecting hearts to be ripped out any second or, you know, some other gory stuff. The drawing below is the perfect example of what I mean:
MY first interpretation was "OMG, she's going to DIE! Crazy psycho eyes all around the table!". But if you look at it through the eyes of a child, it's just a bunch of furry, friendly animals, having a tea party. When artwork has a different effect on different people, you know it's good! Or I'm just scarred for life after seeing too much horror for the past decades...
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It all begins with a Little Red Riding Hood retelling: a little girl sets out into the woods to bring a pie to her grandmother. I kept thinking it was about to get very creepy and if this hadn't been a children's book, the horror options would've been endless. Yet, it was a children's book and nothing creepy happened...I think. The illustrations make this a great picture book to read together with your children. Or someone else's children of course.
If you just like to look at pretty drawings and/or suggestive creepiness yourself, I would also recommend spending a few bucks on this one! A lovely asset to any bookshelf. I give it 4.5 brownies, because it totally depends on your mindset what you make of this book. After reading a lot of webcomics from Emily Caroll recently, I was expecting hearts to be ripped out any second or, you know, some other gory stuff. The drawing below is the perfect example of what I mean:
MY first interpretation was "OMG, she's going to DIE! Crazy psycho eyes all around the table!". But if you look at it through the eyes of a child, it's just a bunch of furry, friendly animals, having a tea party. When artwork has a different effect on different people, you know it's good! Or I'm just scarred for life after seeing too much horror for the past decades...
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2019
A girl's father goes to the girl's grandmother's house to shovel the walk after a recent snowstorm. Alas, he forgets the pie he was supposed to bring, and the girl follows him into the woods... or is it him that she's following?
It's a very gentle story, with interesting illustrations, some of which are excellent. It's Japanese, but it feels like a Japanese story written by someone who had also read a lot of western fairy tales.
Team read with DD#1 (age 6), who gave it sideways thumbs. DS#2 (age 4) also sideways thumbed it. The animal illustrations were good enough that I'm definitely rounding it up to a 3, though.
(Incidentally, there is a traditional Southern American dessert called "Japanese Fruit Pie", which has probably nothing to do with the pie-less nation of Japan, but looks pretty tasty anyway.)
It's a very gentle story, with interesting illustrations, some of which are excellent. It's Japanese, but it feels like a Japanese story written by someone who had also read a lot of western fairy tales.
Team read with DD#1 (age 6), who gave it sideways thumbs. DS#2 (age 4) also sideways thumbed it. The animal illustrations were good enough that I'm definitely rounding it up to a 3, though.
(Incidentally, there is a traditional Southern American dessert called "Japanese Fruit Pie", which has probably nothing to do with the pie-less nation of Japan, but looks pretty tasty anyway.)
May 27, 2016
The illustrations in this book are wonderful. The author uses red and yellow to draw the eye to the page or highlight parts of the story. The mood and atmosphere of the forest is mystical and slightly scary. This Japanese author tells the story of a girl that goes through the woods to grandmother's house because her father left and forgot the pie. She follows like Little Red Riding Hood only to discover that the man in the coat in front of her is a bear. The animals are gathering and she's invited in for tea which reminds me of "Alice in Wonderland." A double page spread shows the animals round eyes staring at her and the students love to guess whether she'll be eaten or not. My Taiwanese friend, who likes all things Japanese, said that the story reminds her of the legend of Aokigahara where angry ghosts roam forests in search of victims.
March 2, 2016
This is a sweet little picture book, originally in Japanese, of a girl having to deliver goodies to her grandmother, by going through the woods to her house. But instead of meeting a wolf, she meets a bear and a goat, and a bunch of other animals that I wouldn't have though of meeting in a wood, but then, I would have thought of all of these animals wearing clothes, and living in a grand house int he woods either.
The animals welcome her to their tea party and even help her restore the pie that she was to deliver that she dropped and spoiled in the snow.
Lovely illustrations, with spots of color. I think kids will enjoy this book, as much as I did.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The animals welcome her to their tea party and even help her restore the pie that she was to deliver that she dropped and spoiled in the snow.
Lovely illustrations, with spots of color. I think kids will enjoy this book, as much as I did.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
August 28, 2015
This is the third Kids Can picture book I've read in a row and they've all been winners (Worms by Friot, The Sepcific Ocean by Maclear, and this one). In this case, a girl gets lost in the woods following what she thinks is her father only to discover it's a bear in a suit! And he's going to an animal tea party! They welcome her into the party and even give her more pie to replace the pie she was supposed to bring to her grandmother's but got squished. A wonderfully magical story.
May 14, 2016
This is a haunting picture book that is more mood than story. The charcoal illustrations with splashes of red and yellow are perfectly suited for the story of a young girl's fantastical encounter in the woods. With nods to Goldilocks and Red Riding Hood, this is an evocative story that will leave readers longing for a tea party of their own.
July 21, 2015
The story was a sweet play on Red Riding Hood, but I found the illustrations rather bleak and almost a bit scary.
June 20, 2017
I actually feel like crying, because of its sheer beauty
January 4, 2018
A tea party I would like to attend. Loved the illustrations!
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