Where the forest meets the sea

A father takes his son to a place you can only reach by boat and the boy immerses himself in this secluded ancient and magical place where present, past and future overlap. Collages allow us to spot people and animals from a long time ago in the forest. After wondering how long it took the trees to grow this tall, the boy imagines what will happen when this secret place isn’t so secret anymore and buildings start to replace the ancient forest.

The reader is allowed to follow the child on his wonderful journey, exploring nature with his senses: “I sit very still and watch and listen.” Invite the children to look closely at the pictures: What can they spot? Are all the creatures there at the same time as the boy? How can you tell which animals are long gone? What can you spot when you look around in your environment? What do you think was there in the past or will be there in the future?

The boy experiences a connection between past and present. What can he hear? What can you hear when you close your eyes? Which are sounds of nature? Which sounds were not there before human development?

There is a very strong environmental message in the book that if we truly immerse ourselves in nature and experience it with all our senses, we will want to preserve it and keep it this secret magical place that we visit and leave without a trace.

If you have the possibility to take the children out into a natural environment, let them experience this magic of belonging to their surroundings themselves.