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Forest School
Forest School: The Big Fort
Deep in the woods, the friends are gathering. It's time for Owl’s Forest School!
Join Mouse, Squirrel, Fox, and Rabbit for a forest school adventure. Today, the group is learning how to build a fort! Out in the woods, they can learn about wildlife, try something new, and get creative with a few problem-solving challenges. This book will have little ones itching to get outdoors and have adventures of their own. Embracing the Forest School focus on play and exploration—and written in consultation with a Forest School expert—this series will appeal to readers whether or not they’ve been to Forest School before.
Join Mouse, Squirrel, Fox, and Rabbit for a forest school adventure. Today, the group is learning how to build a fort! Out in the woods, they can learn about wildlife, try something new, and get creative with a few problem-solving challenges. This book will have little ones itching to get outdoors and have adventures of their own. Embracing the Forest School focus on play and exploration—and written in consultation with a Forest School expert—this series will appeal to readers whether or not they’ve been to Forest School before.
- GenresPicture BooksNature
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 21, 2025
As school is ending, it’s time to start thinking about summer. I hope that some of your summer planning involves getting your kids outside in nature.
Mouse, Squirrel, Fox, and Rabbit gather in the woods for Forest School with their teacher Owl. It’s important when you are in nature to use all your senses and take in your surroundings. As the friends sit together, they notice trees, bugs, birds, and more. Their first task is to build a fort. Owl instructs them about how to find the right kind of branches to build their big fort.
As the animals work together to build their fort, Mouse becomes upset because he is too small to gather the big branches and doesn’t feel useful. But, being small has its advantages too. All the forest friends (and your child, too) learn how to build a fort, tie knots, make a bug hotel, and build a fire with an adult.
This combination of a story with instructions for your child to create things in nature makes this a fun learning experience for this summer. The illustrations are cute yet include accurate legends of leaves and directions to activities with easy-to-follow instructions.
Create your own Forest School this summer by taking your child to your backyard, local nature center, or state park.
Mouse, Squirrel, Fox, and Rabbit gather in the woods for Forest School with their teacher Owl. It’s important when you are in nature to use all your senses and take in your surroundings. As the friends sit together, they notice trees, bugs, birds, and more. Their first task is to build a fort. Owl instructs them about how to find the right kind of branches to build their big fort.
As the animals work together to build their fort, Mouse becomes upset because he is too small to gather the big branches and doesn’t feel useful. But, being small has its advantages too. All the forest friends (and your child, too) learn how to build a fort, tie knots, make a bug hotel, and build a fire with an adult.
This combination of a story with instructions for your child to create things in nature makes this a fun learning experience for this summer. The illustrations are cute yet include accurate legends of leaves and directions to activities with easy-to-follow instructions.
Create your own Forest School this summer by taking your child to your backyard, local nature center, or state park.
October 20, 2025
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Forest Fun
This is a great book. It tells a story, but at the same time it teaches lots of lessons.
A group of four animal friends gather in the woods where owl teaches them many things about the forest. This includes how to make a shelter, a bug house (not my favorite thing), and lots of useful information.
At the same time, a story is going on. It revolves around mouse, his size, and feelings that he is too little. The animals are all kind to him, and everything works out.
The illustrations in this picture book are gorgeous; they are bright and very well done. I love that the book tells how to make things. Also, it emphasizes that you need to be careful and safe in the woods, and some things should only be done with adults.
I recommend this book, and ages three through eight will enjoy this book.
Thanks to Candlewick Press for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own.
Forest Fun
This is a great book. It tells a story, but at the same time it teaches lots of lessons.
A group of four animal friends gather in the woods where owl teaches them many things about the forest. This includes how to make a shelter, a bug house (not my favorite thing), and lots of useful information.
At the same time, a story is going on. It revolves around mouse, his size, and feelings that he is too little. The animals are all kind to him, and everything works out.
The illustrations in this picture book are gorgeous; they are bright and very well done. I love that the book tells how to make things. Also, it emphasizes that you need to be careful and safe in the woods, and some things should only be done with adults.
I recommend this book, and ages three through eight will enjoy this book.
Thanks to Candlewick Press for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own.
May 29, 2025
Owl brings his class to the forest to learn about nature and build a fort. While the class works together to gather materials, they learn about different trees, what kind of sticks make the best support for a fort, and how to tie knots. They also learn to observe life all around the forest, from the smallest bugs to how the shape of leaves can help with plant identification.
There are suggestions for activities throughout the book, and warnings to make sure an adult is with you before attempting anything dangerous. The illustrations are bright and colorful, featuring cute animals with large eyes. Although the illustrations look as though they were created digitally, they have a painterly style similar to watercolor. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
There are suggestions for activities throughout the book, and warnings to make sure an adult is with you before attempting anything dangerous. The illustrations are bright and colorful, featuring cute animals with large eyes. Although the illustrations look as though they were created digitally, they have a painterly style similar to watercolor. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
September 19, 2025
I'm not a fan of digitally created art, but the Forest School illustrations are cute and definitely get the story or text's point across. I think children will enjoy them.
In The Big Fort forest creatures are gathered for an educational session taught by Owl on construction of a fort. This qualifies as a beginner's survival instruction that a parent might give to his children.
Kids love to build forts. Forts in the living room made out of blankets. Forts in the backyard for camping out or establishing their territory (all fun 'n games stuff). Owl's instructions are good and to the point. This is a fun book that has the overtone of educating children on safe camping or beginning survival in the woods.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
In The Big Fort forest creatures are gathered for an educational session taught by Owl on construction of a fort. This qualifies as a beginner's survival instruction that a parent might give to his children.
Kids love to build forts. Forts in the living room made out of blankets. Forts in the backyard for camping out or establishing their territory (all fun 'n games stuff). Owl's instructions are good and to the point. This is a fun book that has the overtone of educating children on safe camping or beginning survival in the woods.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
June 26, 2024
*I received this book as a DRC. There are not many greater outdoor skills to learn than that of creating a shelter. This book does that, while simultaneously teaching readers how to tie a couple of different knots. As a teacher, I have been able to observe my students being taught how to create a shelter on a school trip, and it was great to see them working together. This book has that in it, but with young animals as the protagonists. Lessons intermingled with a clever storyline make this book unforgettable!
April 7, 2025
Forest School: The Big Fort is a fun, engaging, informative, colorful, and delightful read! This book has a little bit of everything. The sweet friendships are precious. The message of inclusion and finding your own strengths is heartwarming. The forest facts are plentiful. The tasks and games are centered around nature which I love! I am so excited this brilliant book is a part of a series
June 4, 2025
I think this book is amazing because it teaches a lot of things, like building a fort. It also teaches you are never too small or too big to do anything. It gives a guide and instructions to build a bug hotel. The book shows different leaves too. Little kids will like the pictures. (review by Sarai, 5th grade)
September 25, 2025
Cute, but very wordy.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews