Forest Magic: A Guidebook for Little Woodland Explorers is a beautiful book with rich illustrations that are full of magical details to entice a reader. From the very first page, author-illustrator Sarah Grindler draws the reader in with an image of a forest and the question, “What do you notice when you are walking in the forest?” She then invites readers to engage their senses as they investigate the forest’s magic.

This nature guide for young learners showcases the diverse forest ecosystem and includes simple information about nurse logs, trees, birds and other creatures, as well as fungi, lichen, moss and wildflowers. Each page highlights plants and animals through illustrations, interesting facts, vocabulary and questions to encourage further curiosity.

Before closing the book with a question that prompts children to consider their next adventure in the forest, Grindler shares images of some things that are safe to touch and some things that are not. This is an important reminder to have conversations with children about safety and caring for ourselves and for nature. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to take their children outside to engage in nature inquiry as it encourages readers to look closely and explore all the magic that the forest has to offer. Our Kindergarten students loved the simple language, the beautiful illustrations and learning new vocabulary. We began by reading the first few pages, which were enough to spark curiosity and an adventure in search of nurse logs. We now keep the book in our outdoor backpack and continue to revisit it to further our exploration. This is aided by open-ended questions throughout the book such as, “If you planted a sapling today, would it grow faster than you?” and “What other creatures can you think of that might make their homes in the forest?”

Forest Magic would be a great addition to any Kindergarten class, and I can see it being supportive of inquiries related to the grades 1-3 life systems Science curriculum.

Teresa Hadley is a member of the Hastings Prince Edward Teacher Local.