Ayano Imai

Puss & Boots reads like a folk tale, but is a little different than the stories I read as a child.
The antagonist is believable and interesting, our protagonist is resourceful and loyal, and Imai's artwork is glorious. It makes me want to learn how to make shoes, and live in a cottage in the woods.
The moral isn't obvious, it reads like a classic folk tale in that our plucky hero does questionable and risky things, and is very proactive. The interactions are very believable.
The antagonist does die directly at the hands of Puss after being tricked, and the artwork handles this beautifully, but the moral lesson here caused some questions from my son afterward. A read-through prior to reading to children may be in order.
All in all, a great book though.… (more)

A young boy sees a rabbit hopping past one day, a little sack in his mouth. Naturally intrigued, he follows after, picking up the acorns that drop from the rabbit's sack. Eventually the boy finds himself on the edge of a barren wasteland, where the rabbit and some of its fellows plant the acorns. Later, the boy witnesses other creatures planting seeds of various kinds. Eventually falling asleep, he dreams he is in a lush and beautiful forest. When he awakens again, a voice tells him he has dreamt of what can be, and so he joins the animals, planting the acorns he picked up, while following the rabbit...

I'm not entirely sure whether Forest Dream is an English translation of a Japanese picture-book - there is a Japanese edition, published at roughly the same time: めぐる森の物語 - or whether it was published simultaneously with the Japanese edition, with an original English text written by author/artist Ayano Imai herself. Given that Imai has lived in both the US and Japan, either is possible I suppose, and unfortunately, this publisher (minedition) doesn't tend to give any information about translation and/or translators. Whatever the case may be, this is a lovely, contemplative tale, one with a strong ecological message. It is also a beautifully-illustrated book, with lovely, lovely artwork. Imai's animals are beautifully captured, and her subtle palette is very pleasing. This is my first book from her, but I certainly hope it will not be my last! Recommended to anyone who appreciates beautifully-illustrated picture-books, or who is looking for children's stories with a message of ecological stewardship.… (more)