Your Forest: A stylish first board book, perfect to gift babies and toddlers aged 0-3 from Jon Klassen, bestselling creator of I Want My Hat Back

Your Places

by Jon Klassen

From the incomparable Jon Klassen, one in a trio of companion board books for the youngest of children

This is your sun.
It is coming up for you.

These are your trees.
They can go over by the sun.

With a minimal tableau of familiar objects and a gentle rhythm suited for reading aloud, a forest and all its items—a cabin, some rocks, a (nice) forest ghost, a stream, a bridge—are assembled, ending with bedtime as the sun goes down. This is a forest for a young child to have whenever they want to go there. One of a trio of board books focusing on safe spaces, comfort, and imagination, Your Forest signals both a departure for Jon Klassen and a story whose peculiar touches of whimsy stamp the book as iconically his.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Storytime, Juvenile, Humor, Ghosts

24 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 2025

About the author

Jon Klassen received the 2010 Canadian Governor General’s Award for his illustrations in Caroline Stutson’s Cat's Night Out. He also created illustrations for the popular series The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place and served as an illustrator on the animated feature film Coraline (2009). I Want My Hat Back is the first book he has both written and illustrated. Originally from Niagara Falls, Canada, he lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book!

[Librera Sin Chaleco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pequeño libro mágico. Klassen me tiene maravillada.

[Lee]

I want a forest like that. ;-;

[Trisha Jeyaseelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super quick read! Recommend :)

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your Island, Your Forest, and Your Farm are all adorable bedtime board books. The way the narrator addresses the reader and personalizes every item in the story evokes a comforting intimacy where the reader (listener) feels a connection to the setting and sees that it is indeed time to go to sleep. Why everything has eyes, I'm not totally sure, and that's not totally to my personal taste, but it does help show that everyone is sleeping and it is Klassen's beloved to style.

This Klassen trio is endearing and I would absolutely select these for part of a toddler's bedtime routine if I were tucking someone in!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite of the trio. The elements aren’t as whimsical per se as the ones on the island, nor as practical or endearing as the ones on the farm. Rocks? How bland. Plus, the ghost is spooky and I’m sure would’ve scared me as a child. It watches you sleep when the sun goes down… eek!

[Luke O'Neill · Rating 2 out of 5]

nice pictures, the ghost is a bit spooky

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et08M...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN8nX...

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

Board books aren't my speciality (Elementary School Librarian) but decided to read the Your Places series because it's Klassen. All the books in the series were cute. They each start with the sun coming up. Then different aspects of the place are added (This one has a weird thing with a friendly ghost that only comes out at night. I kind of felt like that was unnecessary). Finally, the sun goes down and the reader is invited to close their eyes along with the "characters."

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read in the classic Jon Klassen style! I love the way each "character" is introduced as a part of the whole, and the deceptively simple cabin in a forest setting. Throw in a bit of apprehension with one specific scary character for the sharp-eyed readers to catch on to (two thumbs up). I think younger readers will love this! I can see them making up their own forest of characters and taking ownership of their forest.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who wouldn’t want their very own forest? As the sun comes up, place your trees next to the sun. You’ll need somewhere to stay in your forest, so add your cabin by the trees. Next, you’ll need some rocks and a stream.

Every forest needs a ghost, but he is a nice, nighttime ghost. Once your forest is done and the sun goes down, everyone can close their eyes and go to sleep and dream about all the fun you’ll have in your forest tomorrow.

[Me, My Shelf, & I · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Your Forest, Your Farm, and Your Island back to back because wow these are so short. We really enjoy Jon Klassen's children's books and his particular art style so I'm happy to pick up anything he writes.

Definitely these are much, much younger and simpler than his other books. Your Forest was definitely the best in the bunch and has the most character between the rocks (but not too much) and the ghost that only comes out at night.

[Kimia Domire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smart book designed to get the kid to sleep. Innovative and unique. Kind of creepy in a way that I appreciate in a very high brow art kind of way. Not sure if this would be fun for me as a kid. Visually it is very not exciting for a child's eyes, but it is certainly interesting in it's weirdness. And maybe getting them un-excited enough to sleep is the point. For adult reading I think its great.

[Cathy Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A children's book to be read aloud at bedtime. The goal of calming a child is accomplished by the end of the book because we walk through and populate the forest with all of the elements: trees, river, sun, house, bridge, and cute creatures. Even the rocks have personalities and every one of them is getting drowsy. As the sun sets, the whole environment goes to sleep. The artwork is whimsical and charming. Enjoy.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is neat how each of the parts of the forest introduced on one board combine on the following board to eventually form a whole forest at the end.
The eyes in each of the parts of the forest are strange and the illustrations very stylized. Interested to see if I will like the other two titles in this series any better.

[Cas · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am a big fan of my forest. it's got a ghost and everything! the day jon klassen writes a novel is the day my soul will finally ascend; his writing is so pleasant and strange even when it's formatted as incredibly short sentences, and by golly do i want to see him write some longer ones (preferably one after the other until they constitute several chapters). waiter! more please!!

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those board books that I keep revisiting and appreciating a little more each time. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for Klassen's quirky illustrations and the intense eyes of each of the characters (whether river, bridge or rocks - "not too many though") he includes. Or maybe because there is a subtle genius to the slow, melodic rhythm of this sleepy board book.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Impulse at library. Sheesh. I've no interest in companion books!

Creepy eyes on all the elements, including the bridge. Stalker ghost watches everyone/everything sleep. And gosh, shouldn't kids be encouraged to use their *own* imaginations? Seriously, Klassen tells the kids exactly how to create this exact forested home.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
I read a digital copy courtesy of the publisher and Edelweiss.
Klassen's wide-eyed forest items: sun, trees, cabin, stream are the setting for your forest. At the end of the day while your forest sleeps, you can imagine what the next day will bring.

[MandM · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you not like Jon Klaassen? This board book trio is such a great addition to board books and will truly “spark” the imagination of the children listening to the book. Or maybe reading them to themselves!!!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this whole series. This is a a basic story that is calming and almost melodic in its tone. But Klassen takes this basic story and just makes it magical somehow?

I don't mind reading these over and over again.

[Holly Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would be a great book for a preschool. It would be fun to let the kids retell the story with the different images in the story. I like the bedtime theme too making it a great family book too.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Board Book
Part of his Your Places series.
Klassen shows readers the various pieces that create a forest just for them. I love the eyes on his creations. Terrific for toddlers and preschoolers to stretch their imagination.

[Michael Guillot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Klassen is so incredibly goated if I had children they'd own a copy of everything this man has produced. Love the forest spirit that only comes out at night. Love that the trees can go over there. Pure joy.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

the entire your places set is delightful, imbued with klassen's signature style, and even hints of his trademark humor. this one, especially is wonderful, with the inclusion of the disappearing (and reappearing!) forest ghost. fantastic bedtime board book to read aloud with children.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely works as a going-to-bed board book. There's not anything directly interactive, but the moving of pieces from introduction to next page feels very interactive (and like you could convert it into something that was). Much love for the ghost.

[Polly Crandall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about everything having eyes...I find it offputting. I do like the idea,, of thinking about the future, and being mindful.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming, fun, and just a little bit creepy when you think about it. Perfect for kids.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of a series of bedtime board books. I think they would be good to read to a child while getting them ready for bed.

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was a little too simple for my taste. There wasn’t really any characters to the story.