On the Other Side of the Forest
On the Other Side of the Forest
I live with my dad and my dog, Danton, on a little farm, in the middle of a clearing surrounded by a big forest.
People say that wolves live in the forest, and ogres, and giant badgers.
No one ever goes in there!
My dad isn’t the sort who believes these stories.
Still, the forest is too dense and dark to go through.
And he’s always wanted to know what’s on the other side.
Dad usually whistles or hums a tune while he works.
But today, he’s quiet and deep in thought.
When he’s tying his last bundle of wheat, he shouts, “Arthur, I’ve got it! I’ve just had a magnificent idea!”
“We’re going to build a tower,” he tells me. “A very tall tower so we can see over the trees to the other side of the forest!”
“A tower?” I reply. “But what are we going to build it with?”
What is on the other side of the forest?
No one knows and no one finds out because the forest is too dense, too dark, and too dangerous to cross. But one day, Arthur’s dad has an idea – a magnificent idea. So it begins, a young rabbit and his father are determined to look for an answer. They are going to build a tower to look over the treetops and see the other side of the forest!
The ideas soon develop into action. The father and son rabbit team works hard day after day – they bake bread, exchange the bread for rocks, build the tower, and repeat. Their hard work and resourcefulness eventually attract many villagers to join and help them. With the whole community engaging in the labour, the tower grows fast and finally, there it is, ready for the rabbits to see the other side of the forest.
Guess what they find?
Another creature on another tower, trying to answer the same question.
My heart lost a beat when I turned the last page and saw the surprisingly touching ending. Nadine Robert, the author, has artistically built the story in calm, almost entirely objective and descriptive language. No drama. No heart-racing plots. But in the end, it hits right into my heart. Different creatures meet each other finally in distance. Despite their difference, they make a connection through the vast, mysterious forest. It is a deep connection from the bottom of the souls.
They all dare to dream and dare to dream big. They all share the driving force of curiosity and the longing to know the unknown. They all find the ultimate answer to the question: what is on the other side of the forest? And the answer is:
Someone like themselves. They are not alone.
What a wonderful story. The illustrations by Gérard DuBois help bring the story to life. The gloomy colours used on the forest and the soft colours used on the characters make a gentle yet vivid contrast. Nadine Robert’s narratives leave a lot of room for readers to navigate in their imaginations and/or reflections. Instead of trying to fill in the blanks, Gérard DuBois’ illustrations guide and prompt readers in an undemonstrative way.
I would love to see this book presented in classrooms and community libraries. Young children would enjoy the heartwarming story and lovable rabbit characters, and, in the meantime, learn about the power of curiosity, hard-work, community, and social connections.
Emma Chen is a Ph.D. student with a research focus on immigrant children’s heritage language education at the University of Saskatchewan.