This is a sweet, good story about trying to handle emotions when you're young. Growing up, being a bit different and handling changes and loss, of course it becomes too much, for anyone.
Also, the illustrations are wonderful, capturing the beauty of nature, being childlike without being childish. The concept of bad thought as "little monsters" where very painting and the conversation between Willow and Pilu made me tear up multiple times.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange of a honest review.

/ Denise

Advanced copy provided by Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Pilu of the Woods really captures how confusing and sometimes overwhelming emotions and adolence can be. Willow and Pilu navigate the woods and their emotions as the find their way back to Pilu's grove. This has beautiful illustrations and an amazing story. Definitely recommend this story!

Pilu of the Woods really captures how confusing it can be to deal with emotions at a young age. The main character Willow has trouble controlling her feelings in school and even with her sister. We follow her into the woods where she meets Pilu who is lost and away from her family. Together they navigate the woods and their emotions.
This book was so beautifully colored and illustrated! I would so recommend this to pre-teens and teens!

CW: bullying, death of a parent

Middle school can be tough and with big changes in her life, Willow clings to the familiar: her love of learning and what her mother taught her about nature, including everything she knows about her mother's favorite magnolia blossoms that grow in their backyard.

But there's still a lot to deal with and one day she runs away into the woods where she meets Pilu, a nature spirit who lives in the very magnolia grove that Willow's visited countless times. Will helping Pilu find her way home and reconcile with her mother help Willow deal with the hurt inside herself? Find out in Pilu of the Woods.

The art, first and foremost, sets a wonderful tone for the book. It's beautiful rendered from the humans/humanoids creatures in the book to the various nature scenes. Combining that with seamless scientific facts regarding the plants that Willow encounters along her journey with Pilu, such as how mushrooms grow and how a fairy ring is formed, was really interesting.

The tension was very real between Willow and her older sister, Linnea. Their relationship reminded me a bit of Lilo and Nani what with the sibling dynamic, though their father was around and spoken of often by Willow, such as how he taught her about nature. Linnea's caretaker role, though, and her scenes with Willow highlight the early stress that the family is feeling before the first page due to her behavior, how she was trying to keep the stress of Willow's school problems their father, and she reacted to yet another phone call from Willow's teacher regarding her punching a bully.

This segue into Willow's running into the forest, meeting Pilu, and starting her journey to bring Pilu home, to learning more about herself, was heartbreaking even as it was a necessary catalyst for the rest of the story.

I like the conversation the book brings up about "little monsters" (bad thoughts/feelings). Willow and Pilu have an important conversation about how they (the monsters) can be so loud, "louder than your heart", and can be set off by anything and only brought back by saying terrible things. That feeling might be familiar to many readers because who hasn't said something in anger?

Talking about emotions, being open about the things that made one upset, whether it is loneliness or a significant loss, and giving a sort of embodiment to them, became a starting point of realization for how to deal with feelings for Willow and Pilu. This situation, the monsters and the keeping them bottled up, was an analogy that is a good one to translate to the real world and talk to young readers in a way that makes sense to them, especially if they don't understand outbursts or why they feel angry.

There's an enjoyable re-readability quality to Pilu and I look forward to reading it again in the future when the finished copies are published. The artwork, the prose, all of it deserves a place on shelves and in hearts.

Thank you to NetGalley and ONIPress for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

“We gotta be careful not to hurt the things around us because nothing’s really gone forever... not words, not things, not people. Everything leaves a little mark.”


This story follows Willow as she escapes from her problems to the forest where she runs into a forest spirit, Pilu, who she has a lot in common with.

From the start, it’s clear that there is a great sadness in Willow. We see the clues as to why in a series of flashbacks that completely wrecked me. She’s very passionate about plants and the forest so she is the perfect person to run into a forest spirit in need.

The major theme in this book is grief and the recovery process. I think it’s a great book to teach kids about how to navigate traumatic situations. It also really teaches an important lesson on how everyone has something that causes them pain or stress. It’s a fine example of normalizing mental health struggles which is something that we should be doing with the youth of the world.

Everyone has their own little monsters.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy for my honest review!

Great story about love and loss and how to deal with all that comes with grief. Willow has a fight with her big sister and runs off into he woods and meet Pilu.

I don't know how to explain this story. Its beautiful story line, the illustrations are amazing. I cant wait to pick up a copy! This is a great book for anyone that is having a hard time with the loss of a loved one. Pick up a copy April 10th!

5/5 stars
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This book was absolutely wonderful!! It is a great way for teens/kids dealing with loss and grieving to know that it's okay to be angry or upset, and that's a normal part of being human. Suppressing emotions isn't he most healthy way to deal with any situation. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. It reminds me of Hilda. I loved this book!

Pilu of the Woods is a cute graphic novel for children and adults alike. It begins with Willow, talking to her mother and then her mother is absent. Willow lives near a forest and she, and her dog, encounter a girl named Pilu.

The art style is beautiful and the dialogue is easy to follow. You can definitely see in parts how this book has been made suitable for a younger audience. The story features loss, bullying and familial and friend relationships. Additionally, this book also imparts knowledge and facts about foliage, I actually learned some things about plants that I did not know. Pilu of the Woods also features some good lessons about life in general, for example that we need to be careful of our actions so that we do not harm things or people. Furthermore, Nguyen shows that those we love still live on within us without making the story overly stimulating. Pilu of the Woods explores how children, and people in general, should not bottle up their emotions but express them in a healthy way so that they do not build up and make the person feel worse.

The only negative thought I have about this book is that I feel as though it is unnecessarily long. It would have been better if Willow and Pilu's story had ended earlier and then another part following an adventure with Pilu or an after-chapter showing the girls when they are older.

Overall, Pilu of the Woods features many aspects that are beneficial in a middle grade book. I really enjoyed this graphic novel, the images were so sweet and I loved all of the different lessons that were featured within. This is one of those books that I would recommend anyone and everyone to read.

Star rating: 4/5 stars

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pilu is such an adorable story and such a great way to talk about feelings. The story follows a girl whose mother dies recently. She is full of grief and gets bullied at school for being a nerd, she likes hiking in the woods with her father, and so when she and her older sister fight she runs away into the woods with her dog. While she is out there she meets a being called Pilu who appears to be some sort of forest spirit who has also run away from home. Together they learn that bad feelings aren’t something you can bottle up or run away from. The art is beautiful, cartoony but still realistic enough and with a pastel but not too light palate, the art packs emotion but calm into this lovely story.

Pilu of the Woods is a sweet graphic novel about friendship, grief, and family. It's about a family still coming to terms with the death of a mother and the relationship between the youngest daughter and her older sibling. The drawing style is cute and it definitely fits the narrative of the story. At the same time Pilu of the Woods is about making a friend and helping them confront their fears and doubts. Willow is a clever plant obsessed girl and she has to learn throughout the story that we can't repress our thoughts and emotions. It just creates an even bigger problem and we need to embrace them.

Willow and her family are still grieving for their mother and dealing with the sadness, anger, and fear that comes with that. When Willow gets in a fight with her sister one day, she runs away to the woods and meets Pilu, a tree spirit. Pilu also ran away from home because she feels invisible in her big family. Together, the two girls encounter the beauty of nature and help each other process their feelings and make more empathetic decisions.

Does that make it sound too teacher-y to appeal to its middle grade audience? Well, maybe, but I don't think it is. For one thing, the nature facts woven in are genuinely interesting. I loved learning about the common root of mushrooms and how they linger just under the surface until it rains. Perhaps more importantly, the art is adorable, and I think you'll encounter a lot of kids who pick it up for the cover alone. I think they'll stick with it through the teary parts, and I'll bet many will pick it up again and again for those pictures. For me, I wish the story had included a subplot or two instead of just diving deep into grief and emotional maturity, but I think it handles that topic very well.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Willow loves being in the forest behind her house, where no one can tell her what she should or shouldn't feel and do. After getting in trouble one day for losing control of her temper, Willow runs into the woods, fuming until she hears someone else crying in the woods. Willow discovers Pilu, a tree spirit who also ran away from home and ended up in the same part of the woods as Willow after getting lost. Willow thinks she knows exactly where Pilu's home in the woods is and offers to take her there.

This is a cute graphic novel primarily aimed at children, yet it also teaches about plants and imparts life lessons everyone needs to be reminded of from time to time. The grief, guilt, and loneliness Willow and Pilu experience are something we all feel at times. This was a heartwarming story with cute graphics. I loved the dog, Chicory.

Thank you Netgalley and Oni Press for sending a review copy in exchange for an honest review

Pilu of the Woods is possibly one of the cutest MG graphic novels i have ever read. I don’t think I’ve ever cried while reading a graphic novel before this one. The story was about love, loss and grief, and it was perfect. It really touched my heart and I had some tears spilling by the end of it. The illustrations were gorgeous and I’m definitely going to pick up whatever Mai K. Nguyen writes from now on.

Word of caution: don't read these one if you're already feeling emotional. You will cry. This is a beautiful book, both the artwork and the story. It deals with emotions, especially grief and isolation, so well. It's perfect for middle graders - it respects their intelligence enough that not everything is spelled out and they're not spoken down to either. I can't wait to have this one on my shelves and recommend it to kids.

I received an ARC of Pilu of the Woods from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading my copy of Pilu of the Woods. It was a wonderfully illustrated graphic novel for children/young adults. The both the story and the drawings were whimsical. I feel that the story can help the readers to understand better how someone can regret their actions, how words some times can't be taken back, and how to deal with loss/family problems.

This is so freaking cute oh my gosh! I absolutely loved it!

I absolutely adored this graphic novel! Everything was so adorable illustrations wise. I adored the illustrations and the colours of all the panels. I loved the use of panels by themselves without any text. These panels still conveyed the story of Willow running away from her sister and meeting Pilu within the woods. The story line between Willow and Pilu, exploring their issues, with both of them running away from home and learning to deal with them and understanding where their family's come from was absolutely beautiful.

This graphic novel deals with the concepts of family issues, misunderstandings, and monsters of thoughts. I believe that as a middle grade graphic novel, these issues were dealt with in a fantastic way and also showed a way to deal with these monsters of thoughts of Willow's without hurting her family and herself also in the process. Although this is a middle grade novel and aimed towards this age group, I can easily say that I still absolutely loved it and I felt every single emotion that Willow experienced throughout this novel. I truly believe that anyone of any age can read this and truly enjoy it.

I cannot wait to get my hands on a hard copy of this graphic novel. I truly need to see these stunning illustrations in person in physical copy so I can sob at how beautiful this story is in every single facet.

Thank you very much to Oni Press for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

This is an engaging, whimsical and, a heartwarming tale about new friends and how to deal with emotions. This book was very well done in how it explores the importance of realizing and talking about how we are feeling instead of locking them away. It explores topics of finding/understanding one's self, forgiveness and the importance of home and family in a way that a younger audience could relate too. The story was well paced and moving. It was beautifully illustrated and is a true gem. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy!

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29540307-pilu-of-the-woods" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Pilu of the Woods" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529344679m/29540307.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29540307-pilu-of-the-woods">Pilu of the Woods</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8409155.Mai_K_Nguyen">Mai K. Nguyen</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2744669994">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
this story follows Willow, a young and lonely girl who gets into a fight with her sister one day and befriends a forest spirit.<br /><br />this story was so heartwarming and with the art work, made this one of my favorite graphic novels ever. it is so important for children to know that it is okay to make mistakes and that it doesn't define you as a person. That being said, I thought the message that was in this story was well fleshed out and well done.<br /><br />Willow and Pilu were absolutely, positively adorable and I just can't get over how much I loved this.<br /><br />This deserves every star in the world.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/63002924-yvee">View all my reviews</a>

I got an ARC of this book.

So this book is amazingly adorable. Just look at that cover and tell me you don't like it. The dog is cute, that nose of the MC, there is just so much to love about the art in this book. It is just so fitting for the story. It isn't too cartoony and it isn't too realistic. It was the exact sort of art I would need for this story to be captivating. 

I read this in one sitting. It is not super long or complicated, but it was still a good read as an adult. I have already started pushing this on parents that have younger kids. There is such a good message in the book that I think it is worth the read even if you aren't a normal comic/graphic novel reader. The big message being that it is ok to feel bad, but it is not ok to treat others badly. 

The two MCs of the book are Willow and Pilu. They are both feeling very badly. Willow is dealing with the death of her mother and Pilu is dealing with the idea of not feeling loved in her family. They both have been holding in these feelings until they explode so they do some really not nice things. They end up trying to help each other, but Willow isn't happy that Pilu would willingly run away from a mother. It is so painful and raw. The emotions are so much bigger than their bodies. They have been holding it in and exploding. When they realize that they actually have to deal with these feelings if they are ever going to be happy or not do bad things was so perfect. 

I love books that have the idea that "bad" emotions are still ok. It is ok to be sad. It is ok to be mad. What matters is what you do with those feelings. This book conveys this so wonderfully. I loved seeing the MCs being girls. Most of the time when a MC is angry or is sad to the point of being angry that MC is a boy. It is so important for girls to see that they can be angry too. I would have loved if Pilu were male, just because men aren't supposed to feel lonely and sad. Pilu's emotions very much came across and lonely and sad. It would have added a new layer of awesome for me. I still loved Pilu as a character though!

*3.5 stars

Don't let the fact that this is a middle grade book deter you from reading it if you're older.

This graphic novel tells a story about grief, about coming to terms with the loss of one of your parents, as a child. It's about what happens when you don't listen to your feelings, when in order to process them you have to accept them. I think it was told in a lovely and easy-to-understand way.
Not to mention the beautiful and somehow comforting art style, especially the depiction of the little 'inner monsters' and the woods.