I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one fell a little short for me. It had a good premise, but I didn't really enjoy the pictures. I think it could have been executed a bit better.

A bit too far-fetched --- this would be easier to enjoy if it were animals that were a bit closer - or within the same food chain. Then again, I am not a small child, so perhaps they would enjoy it better than I could.

Illustrations well done and text enjoyable, just had difficulty with the premise.

The concept was very sweet and innocent. In a world where no one got along or understood each other, baby bear and baby duck were able to just play together, not even being able to speak each others language. They developed a relationship and taught each other their own ways and languages. Mother bear accepted baby duck as her own and they all lived happily.

This is very reflective of today’s society and I loved that bear and duck were able to overcome their differences and be friends anyway!

The artwork was cute, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the wording. At times it felt like it was supposed to rhyme, and then it would veer off which made the flow a bit awkward and hard to read consistently.

I’m Sorry I did not like this book at all.

The message it’s trying to teach is wonderful. We should all live together in peace and harmony and except each other’s defences. But the story does not do the message justice
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This is a very sweet story about a baby bear finding a lost baby duck and they become best friends. It has beautiful illustrations to go with the story. It teaches a valuable lesson that just because someone is different from you, doesn't mean you can't be friends. Thank you Christian Faith Publishing via NetGalley for the free copy of this book. I was not required to write a review. This is my honest opinion.

I read aloud Once in a Forest by Adriana Pernetz to my four-year-old granddaughter. I was thrilled to see the concept of the book so I was eager to share it with her. The ideas were wonderful but the execution of them not fully developed.

Here are my thoughts –
The characters were cute as well as the drawings. I was surprised to see a duck and a bear paired together. I can see how this unusual pairing would make the reader sit up and take notice of the theme of the story. Still very little was said of the duck but that he was lost. My granddaughter wanted to know why his family wasn’t sought after so that he could return home. Then the drawings did not clearly portray the actions of the text. This led to more discussion, but no clear understanding of them in relationship to the story. Last the reading of the text aloud was a bit awkward. At time it flowed, even rhymed then lost it rhythm. This is a story that could use some work or reworking to become much, much better.

Despite my best efforts, I really didn't like <i>Once in a Forest </i>by Adriana Pernetz. With the message she was trying to send, that differences should not prevent friendships, I really wanted to like this book. In fact, I'm a pretty strong believer of the idea that children's books should have a purpose further than just being ridiculous and I requested this one specifically on NetGalley <i>because</i> of the message the author was trying to send. But I feel as though the message was never really portrayed enough for a child to see it and even I found that it required a lot of reading between the lines for me to see it. And while the message is good and one that I strongly believe in, I just don't think this book really did its best job in portraying it.

To begin, the story is incredibly simple and merely follows the tale of a bear and a duck who become friends. Duck visits bear's home and bear's mother welcomes duck with open arms. It was sweet, but it didn't really derive from anything else. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the artwork, which was choppy at best at times and just didn't keep my attention. Perhaps a young kid would enjoy it a lot more, but it certainly wasn't for me. And I think the most important piece, at the end of the day, is the simple fact that if I were looking for a book to buy my niece or even my own child that was specifically about diversity and accepting others differences and building amazing friendships because of that, I would not be getting this one. I would be looking for a superior one that does a better job of sending that message.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

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A very good little story that helps children "see what they can see." It is a great parable about differences and getting along! Enjoyable !!

I wrote a review in Goodreads as Jeannie Huie.

A very sweet children's book with a very powerful message of friendship and love behind it. I adored the illustrations and the book really made me smile.

Once in a Forest by Adriana Pernetz
Starts with a dedication page then the story.
Colorful children's book about animals in the forest and one baby bear.
The first page has many colorful items that you should be able to play a game with your child, finding different ones.
The bear is very talented and sees a lost duck along the way and tries tohelp him.
They had fun as each other couldn't talk to one another: bear growled and snorted, the duck quaked and nobody knew what they were saying.
When Mama bear comes baby bear quacks to her saying he loves her-the duck taught him!
Love what happens next as they are one in everything they do.
Cute story and so many pictures to talk about with your child.
About the author is included at the end.
Received this review copy from Christian Faith Publishing via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#OnceInAForest #NetGalley

I am all for teaching children great truths and ideas in simple stories. It has long been a recognised style in literature like aesop's fables.
Once in a Forest has a wonderful desire to continue this tradition by using animal relationships to relay an inportant social lesson; indeed it calls the story a parable.
However, the story is too simplistic and clichéd in terms of what the animals do and like. This is backed up with simple coloured illustrations yet here the imagination runs wild, animals are reading books and behaving out of character, yet the text stereotypes the animals like when it says squirrels gather nuts.
Also as a parent I would struggle to explain what a duck was doing in a forest; let along helping bees and climbing trees.
So despite lofty aspirations, for me the story missing the point. I get the idea it is trying to convey but the story is poorly executed and ultimately is nothing more than average. Not sure it has enough even to get the message across but I applaud the effort and ambition to share with children, deeper values.
For me though it is too confusing and its mixed messages get in the way of the sense it is trying to give through relationships and living in harmony.