The Woods

It’s almost bedtime and suddenly none of this boys nighttime toys are anywhere to be seen. With no way of possibly going to bed without them he does what any other boy would do in this situation…he goes into the woods. Along his journey he meets a number of strange creatures from a three headed dragon to giants and even a monster, but are they really so scary or do they just need a little help of their own? In the end he may just learn that it’s better to stick together than face the night alone.

For anyone who has ever had a little kiddo struggle with nightmares or simply being afraid of the dark, you must read this book! Not only do I absolutely love the illustrations and the feel of the pages (it’s less glossy than most picture books), but I love the entire concept. Of course we’ve dealt with nighttime issues since the time Turkeybird was old enough to get out of his own bed, and even before that! What do you say to a child when they are afraid of the dark or have a nightmare? Yes, there’s the traditional comforting and even the more fun “monster spray” in the form of a clean spray bottle that’s been decorated, but sometimes those things simply aren’t enough. When we reached that last stage I was grateful for the many books we discovered that gave him comfort and me ideas to help him with, including this one.

In The Woods by Paul Hoppe this little boy is an adventurer from the start. He sets out to discover the whereabouts of his bunny and along the way makes a few friends to take home. What’s unique about this is that it’s not only an adventure story, but a way to teach children to be kind to others and offer help when you can give it. Instead of the little boy becoming overwhelmed by the things that could potentially frighten him he turns it into an opportunity to make things better. It’s a fantastic concept and one that’s shared simply enough that young readers will love and appreciate it again and again. The Woods by Paul Hoppe is definitely a bedtime book you don’t want to miss!

Originally reviewed and copyrighted at my site, There's A Book. ( )