Into the Forest was published in 2004 by Candlewick Press. It was written and illustrated by Anthony Browne.
A boy goes through the forest to reach his grandmother’s house. He finds a red coat. Will a fox eat him? Can he find his father?
To be expected, Into the Forest is a strange story. I thought the child’s father had left the family at the beginning for good judging by the mother’s depressed and dazed looks.
The boy walks through the forest and meets three other children. One with a cow, another with pig tales wearing an outfit from another time and two children that have lost their parents. Umm... this is all a little too surreal for my sensitive brain.
A red coat is found and we think that Browne is going to throw us into a scary climax. He ends up throwing us a curve ball and the story comes to an end with a big happy hug... come to think of it, the last book I read by him ended with a big happy hug. I have to admit I’m not a big of fan of this cliched style ending.
The art is supreme in this book. The amount of detail added to the scenes in the forest are breathtaking... and must have taken a very long time to complete.
I’m not sure what to think of this book. I wouldn’t really recommend it for children. It’s just too weird.
