Summer in the Forest: Seasons in the Forest

Written and Illustrated by: Christine Copeland
Publisher: Christine Copeland Books
Publication Date: July 4, 2023
ISBN: 979-896470368
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: June 12, 2023

It's a hot summer day in a beautiful forest in New England. So hot, that you might think all the animals are hiding, or perhaps napping. But the forest is alive, and in Summer in the Forest, author Christine Copeland will show readers just what that means.

The story opens as a majestic young eagle, who is perched high in a tree, is surveying his surroundings. He then takes wing, and explores the woods below him. Do you think he spots any wildlife below?

Up in those trees, just beneath where the eagle flies, is a scurry of squirrels. They run and play, and while the temperature soars, they don't let that stop their fun.

"Squirrels jump from branches in rambunctious play
high in the forest on a hot summer day."

As the story continues, readers will discover a wide array of animals, all living in that forest, exploring, feeding their young, and playing. There are so many amazing creatures to meet and learn about - the forest really is alive.

Author Christine Copeland, who lives in the woods of Massachusetts, has grown her love of the outdoors into a passion, and through her beautiful oil paintings and gentle rhymes, she has found a way to share that passion with youngsters. Summer in the Forest, the fourth book in her "Seasons in the Forest" series, is a simple story, one where you can feel the warmth of a summer's day, and the ease of relaxing in a forest as the crickets chirp and the birds sing. At the back of the book the author explains to her young readers in a way they can understand, the levels of a forest (overstory, understory, and ground floor), and that's exactly how she organized her story. We first read about an eagle high in the overstory, then we meet animals living in the understory, and finally some very cool ground floor inhabitants. It's a nice, easy way to explain a somewhat complex principle in a way very young children can understand. But they won't know they're learning because they'll be busy enjoying the story and marveling at the gorgeous illustrations that the author has created to accompany her lovely story. I can't wait to see what she has planned for her next educational story to guide readers into the delightful realm of the forest.

Quill says: Summer in the Forest is a wonderful addition to author Christine Copeland's "Seasons in the Forest" series and will make a perfect addition to your favorite young reader's library.

For more information on Summer in the Forest: Seasons in the Forest, please visit the publisher's website at: christinecopelandbooks.com/