In Pilu of the Woods, a girl named Willow stumbles upon a lost tree (nymph? spirit?) and helps her find her way home. Along the way, they make discoveries about the woods and themselves.

I loved the illustrations in this -- so whimsical and pretty, and a lovely compliment to the sweet story. It took me a while to catch on to what the monsters were meant to be, but I could see that as a potential opening for conversation with a young reader. There were some lines that really struck me. I think this would be a great, safe resource for kids who are trying to come to terms with their feelings (especially of grief and loneliness).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Well butter my biscuit, we have one heck of an adorable graphic novel!

The story is quite simple at first. We are following a young girl named Willow is not having the best of days. After arguing with her sister, she runs out into the woods which first off, I need to mention the art here. It is lush and full of greenery and perfection and I want to live here! Willows suddenly has a run in with Pilu a tree spirit who is also.. well not having the best day and they join together to help journey back home.

This was amazing! I had been told this would be a cute read but I was not prepared by the loveliness of the art and the characters. This graphic novel is full of life and flair and it is perfect for kids and adults alike. The art stye is definitely one of my new favorites with its whimsical, woodsy subject matter. It reflected this in its use of gold, olive, and muted jewel tones.

The ending was the best part in my opinion. It was both hopeful and triumphant and it made me smile so much. I'm looking forward to more of this author's work!

This was so cute! And surprisingly deep.
I adored the artwork - the colours are so beautiful and match the story perfectly - and loved the story. It's heart-warming and so hopeful and encouraging! A perfect read for anyone who might feel overwhelmed by negative emotions, kids and adults alike.

Another middle grade graphic novel with beautiful art - especially loved the rendition of the forest - gorgeous! It also gets pretty deep there for a bit - addresses loss of a parent, repression, anger, avoidant behaviour - among other things - so pretty heavy for a middle grade read. Would recommend!

First finished: 15dec2018
Source: Netgalley eArc

This was a sweet little book with a message that, though sometimes a bit too heavyhanded, was extremely important. The characters were geniune and Willow's experience with her mother dying was honestly presented.
The art was my favorite part of the book, with the gorgeous colors and style and the extremely realistically written dog (my own dog makes those exact expressions, I swear!)
Overall, a sweet paced fantasy perfect for fans of Katie O'Neill or Studio Ghibli.

What a very human, thoughtful piece of work. Willow is working on managing her big feelings. Her feelings get represented as monsters and they make her lash out at her loved ones and say things that she doesn’t believe in her heart, but make her feel better for that moment of release... we’ve all been there, haven’t we? Once she says them she doesn’t actually feel better...heaps of guilt and regret only make her feel worse.

Willow is managing not fitting in at school, the loss of her mother, the tensions of her home relationships dealing with grief, and she’s trying to find her footing amidst it all by pushing her feelings away. She finds the beginnings of some footing through a quirky friendship in the woods (with Pilu!) that allows her to come through some of her feelings instead of push them down.. or explode. This book felt very relatable. It felt like it was made with an open heart, and the art matched in the best way.

It’s SO hard to manage how we feel, and I think this graphic novel captured how we struggle and what some forms of working through it look like——but with watercolor cute naturey melancholy vibes. This one was that perfect blend of both sweet and heavy and I’m glad it exists. My advice is to read it when it comes out and enjoy the reminders it provides.

This book did a wonderful job tackling hard to talk about issues with children. The illustrations were beautiful.

First of all, the art and illustrations are beautiful. There's no doubt that this is a beautiful graphic novel that every type of reader can enjoy. I've read my fair share of graphic novels and books that discuss mental health, so believe me when I say that this story is AMAZING for kids and young people. It's about family, grief, loss, pain and mental health -- all of that is dealt with in a very sweet way.

Willow is a very relatable character and her journey with Pilu and Chicory is really interesting. I am really excited to reread this in print. Definitely recommend it to everyone who enjoys a cute, quick, and meaningful story.

A heartwarming middle grade fantasy novel where we follows a girl named Pilu who ran away from home to the woods when she gets into a fight with her sister. There, she met Pilu, a forest spirit, who happens to ran away from home too.

This book is super cute and also has a great illustrations! I love the color scheme and the cartoony feels of the book. I adore the characters and their journey of trying to cope up with their current emotions. I really love the message of this book although I felt detach to it. But overall, it's really an enjoyable read to me.

“You know maybe, it's okay to cry sometimes.”

More than anything, I really just feel like I need to say that I LOVED THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL. Mental health isn't often addressed in such a gentle, easy to understand way, and Pilu did it in way that feels honest without being cliche or feeling like an afternoon special. The illustrations mirror the sentiments beautifully, and I felt like I was walking through the woods with an old friend. I will, without hesitation, be ordering Pilu of the Woods for our library. 5/5, will be reading again.

Thank you, NetGalley for the preview of this graphic novel.

Pilu of the Woods is about Willow - a girl who lost her mother recently and how she grows to deal with her inner monsters. The illustrations were oh-so-beautiful and I kept getting distracted from the plot because of all the illustrations. All I wanted to do was sit and stare at those pretty trees and mushrooms.

This book was so cute! The illustrations are to die for - they were my favorite part! This story deals with a lot. Grief, loss, friendship – all great themes, especially when they are geared towards this younger age dynamic. It's definitely a book you need to pick up.

I thought this was adorable - it was terribly bittersweet and sappy but the premise was great. A little girl deals with grief and in the process learns how to handle her internal monsters.

Willow loves nature. Her mother used to take her to the willow trees in the forest near their house. Her father is a professor who researches growing things, like trees and mushrooms. When Willow can't sleep, her older sister Lin is always there for her. Since their mother passed away, Willow has been bottling up her grief and anger. This time, she yelled mean things at her sister and ran away in the woods, where she meets Pilu, someone else who loves nature and has feelings like Willow does. Will Willow ever feel better enough to return home?

Nguyen's beautifully crafted pictures is reminiscent of Hilda but with more emotional depth. It is a superb graphic novel for children dealing with grief or anger management. The art is adorable and whimsical but the story itself is even more powerful. Nguyen was able to craft analogies that make it easy for kids to understand about losing a loved one and bottling up your feelings. In addition
the graphic novel unfolds in a way that many kids can relate to where some of the story is unveiled later or not at all; leaving room for interpretation by the reader. Recommended for grades 2nd-5th.

A touching story about friendship, loss, and coping with big feelings. The illustrations are delightful, and the story stays with you after you turn the last page. Would recommend!

The cover was irresistible, and the first description I read compared this to Hilda, so really there was no question I'd be interested. The interior was stunningly charming, and visually reminded me a bit of Kevin Henkes crossed with Vera Brosgol. The artwork is just gorgeous.

The story follows Willow, an angry and lonely girl who struggles with her strong emotions. Her relationship with her mom is set up at the beginning and then... the reader knows something happens, but doesn't really find out what until the end. In the meantime it's clear Willow isn't popular at school and a fight with her sister sends Willow to the woods - a refuge where she spends a lot of time with her parents. Here she meets a wood sprite and grapples with the cutest, fiercest little monster emotions known to man. If my own anger was this adorable it might be easier to deal with.

The flow of the story is occasionally broken by memory sequences, and the little monster panels floating along in the background. Once I figured out exactly what the monster emotions were, I really liked their message. As a bonus: delightful fungi facts are sprinkled throughout the story. And of course, the touching family bits pulled at the heartstrings.

I don't know what I was expecting of this book, but this wasn't it. Ha! I loved the comic book vibe and the pictures were simple yet intricately done. The storyline was a little lengthy but thoughtfully played out. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Pilu and Willow play out.

I really like the art style, but while I get that this is children's fiction and is meant to be kinda educational, it just felt a bit forced

This pool was phenomenal. A wonderful depiction of dealing with tough feelings and coming to peace with them. I will definitely be buying at least one for my library. Very highly recommend!

Willow is a young girl full of anger that she is trying to keep bottled up inside only to lash out at those she loves and breaks a promise that that is very close to her heart. I think this is a great book for children to understand how holding in their emotions will only make you feel worse and make you lash out even more, You even learn a little botany along the way.

I would recommend this book.