Children Book Review: The Girl from Glochen´s Glen by Andy Wolf

 

For hundreds of years, a girl is living in the forest, together with birds, tortoises and fish. The food is always within her reach and she can talk with the clouds and the sky and the deer. She is missing a human touch, another being to talk with. She is all alone, left to her own life, out of time.

This was until Polly Porter, whose family set up house alongside the forest border appeared into her life. They will become best friend, the girl will be given a name - Milly - and start having the life everyone has, the humans I mean. She will end up growing up, as everyone does out there, while her connection with nature will be for ever lost. 

It´s a story of longing for the outside world and of separation. Of breaking up genuine, natural ties for the sake of the human connection. One brutally excluded the other because it seems like the human time is by its very nature involves a limitation. 

The Girl from Glocken´s Glen by the award winning novelist and playwrighter Andy Wolf is an inspiring chidren story told in verses. The illustrations by the Canadian-based Chad Leduc may look a bit Gothic, at least for my taste, but they do add a visual nostalgic touch to the story. In the end, there are a good match, the author´s words and the illustrations.

I´ve read lately many books aimed for a young and very young audience with an open nature-oriented message, which do resonate with a human soul nurturing to exist besides and separated from the technicalities of all kinds. Especially after such a hard year for children who were completely uprooted from their daily schedule and very often confined to the unfamiliar four-wall houses, out of their friends and playgrounds, such messages resonate strongly and meaningfully. Reconnecting with nature during those times is a soothing activity and life goal in general. However, one may try to avoid too much ideal mental projections of the nature, as I bet none of us will be able to survive too long in the forest. We are supposed to be in a different place, evolution-wise.  

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review