rebeccadanielle's review
4.0
The story is great, but the illustrations are the big winner for me. What I really liked were the hidden objects through the book that I must admit I didn’t see straight away and had to go back to find some of them.
tnb10's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ellalouise99's review against another edition
3.0
Poppy and Cy’s dog has gone missing and they are feeling upset about it, they decide to go and play in the woods to distract themselves. This results in them finding their dog. There are lots of hidden images in the pictures which could lead to discussions about what they mean, such as why their is a wolf, apple, dog or crocodile. The colour throughout the book changes to reflect the mood with them being quite dull and dark when the children are frightened and bright and light when they return home with their dog. A nice story to use with KS1 and lower KS2 children.
olivias's review against another edition
2.0
Wasn't wild on this. The story is really simple, and the ending is predictable. The pictures are...interesting. I wasn't wild on them, but the woods are cool looking, and finding the hidden images might be fun for one-on-one. Not my favourite. 4+
ellielabbett's review
4.0
Browne is not known for being straightforward in his works, but this one I found particularly ambiguous. After their dog goes missing (the fate of which is quite mysterious), Cy and Poppy decide to play hide and seek in a wood, and the pair are separated for quite some time. The underlying meaning behind what happens here is really quite debatable, I am left wondering if it is a mirror image of what happened to their dog when he disappeared, or a reflection of their internal worries regarding loss repeating itself.
The story becomes shrouded in obscurity as soon as the children enter the woods. Similarly to ‘Into The Woods’, fear and dangers are so tightly tied to the forest, and the heart begins to race with Browne’s changing tones and textures. More depth is added to the narrative through his depiction of trees, which become skeletal and filled with illusions. There certainly appears to be more taking place than first meets the eye, and I do not think it is an issue to be uncertain of exactly what is taking place.
On a side note, it is excellent to see characters depicted from a background less commonly portrayed within any of the literature that I have read. After their time playing hide and seek, the two children return to their mobile home, which resides on the outskirts of a possibly underprivileged area. So important for diversifying children’s understanding of different ways of living, and ensuring that readers who do not live in the supposedly ‘conventional’ home are valued and represented within their reading.
The story becomes shrouded in obscurity as soon as the children enter the woods. Similarly to ‘Into The Woods’, fear and dangers are so tightly tied to the forest, and the heart begins to race with Browne’s changing tones and textures. More depth is added to the narrative through his depiction of trees, which become skeletal and filled with illusions. There certainly appears to be more taking place than first meets the eye, and I do not think it is an issue to be uncertain of exactly what is taking place.
On a side note, it is excellent to see characters depicted from a background less commonly portrayed within any of the literature that I have read. After their time playing hide and seek, the two children return to their mobile home, which resides on the outskirts of a possibly underprivileged area. So important for diversifying children’s understanding of different ways of living, and ensuring that readers who do not live in the supposedly ‘conventional’ home are valued and represented within their reading.
mat_tobin's review
4.0
Browne's 50th picturebook sees him back on form as Poppy and Cy, brother and sister, decide to overcome their grief over the loss of their dog by entertaining themselves in the woods near their home. Children are encouraged to explore the environment looking for things hidden in the trees and whilst less haunting than The Tunnel, the trees themselves are still captivating and rather beautifully rendered by Browne (I'd argue it's one of his most beautiful books yet). With the game of hide and seek underway, the tone and colour changes and the fear heightened.
For me, Browne has really been off-form for around a decade but since he's gone back to the wilderness, I feel he's found his muse again.
For me, Browne has really been off-form for around a decade but since he's gone back to the wilderness, I feel he's found his muse again.
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