I was drawn to this book because of the cover, and the rest of the book did not disappoint! This was an adorably illustrated, cozy read! Wally and Bo's daily mail deliveries introduce readers to the wholesome, helpful Faraway Forest community of animal friends who live and work there. Wally's mottos are really wonderful because of them being catchy rhymes that are short and sweet. I think they send hopeful, positive, and lasting messages to young readers. I felt the scavenger hunt throughout the book was another nice touch to promote engaged interactions with the book and attention to detail. Can't wait to see more stories about the friendly animals in The Faraway Forest!

This will be a great addition to our collection when it comes out! I will be recommending this book to younger readers branching off of the early reader collection, as well as my readers who gravitate toward the graphic novel collection. We also have a "Staff Picks" bulletin board that I will be including this title on for all readers at my library to see once the book is available for them to find on our catalog!

It is a heartwarming, meaningful read with impressive graphics. The message came across beautifully and is very impactful. Illustration is very powerful - you can hear the illustrations talk without a word in it. The little challenges and instruction to draw make this an engaging and immersive experience for the readers.

I requested this ARC solely because of the adorable cover and I’m really glad I did so.
The art style is colourful and so cute.

The protagonist Wally, a raccoon mail carrier, is a kind and dedicated hero, and his friendship with Bo the bunny was lovely to read about.

Though the book is aimed at children, The Faraway Forest: Wally’s Route totally won me over. It’s a quick, wholesome, and charming read that’s perfect for anyone in need of a feel-good story.

I received an electronic ARC from Chronicle Books through NetGalley.
Wally is a dedicated mail carrier in the forest. Together with his best friend Bo, they make the journey every day to deliver mail and packages to the other animals. He shares his mottos of kindness and patience and models them well for everyone he engages with. This makes him a bit slow to deliver the mail sometimes but it makes him a good friend and support. Readers see how this is reciprical when he gets sick and the others take care of him.
Brightly colored illustrations for readers to study to flesh out the text.

such a cute story! definitely giving the hundred acre wood, which I loved. the illustrations were so cozy and unbelievably cute. Wally had so much positivity and kindness, and his mottos were really good messages, especially the one about rest. the ending felt a bit abrupt, but I might’ve just been so lost in the story and felt like it could go on. would love to read more from The Faraway Forest!

A sweet and cozy story set in the Faraway Forest. The graphic novel is short with a few chapters that revolve around Wally's adventures as the neighborhood mail carrier. Wally and Bo are such a fun duo - I especially enjoyed Wally's mantras throughout the book! I love how the author also incorporated themes of self and community care in the story. This will be a great graphic novel for elementary readers - there are panels without text sprinkled throughout the book, but they are easy to follow and help move along the story.

Wally and Bo are best friends and the best mail carriers. "Rain, sleet, snow or shine! Every house, every time!" is their motto as they go around helping their neighbors, until one day Wally catches a cold and has to stay home from work. The residents of Faraway Forest, worried about Wally, gather together to show their appreciation for all he does.

I originally picked up this book because of the cover. The art in this graphic novel is SO CUTE. I think so many kids will be pulled in by the cover but stick around for the wholesome story of Wally and Bo. This book is perfect for reluctant readers and those who are starting to read and are curious about graphic novels. This will for sure be a staple in the early reader graphic novel section at my library.

The Faraway Forest: Wally's Route is a whimsical story about a racoon mail carrier and his best friend, a white rabbit named Bo. The story follows Wally and Bo as they go about their days delivering mail to the neighborhood. This is a charming story about community, taking care of each other, and taking care of ourselves. Kids will be captivated by the cozy colors, cute illustrations, seek and find activities, and drawing lessons!

I recieved a digital ARC of this graphic novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for review.

This graphic novel is so cute! Wally and his best friend Bo deliver mail to all his neighbors and they also help with some extra things along the way. One of his neighbors is Annie more surly than the rest, but Wally reminds himself to be kind. Within the book, there are three rules Wally lives by which are cute and rhyme and could be helpful for kids learning how to be helpful and kind to others.

Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend it. I also liked that it had a seek and find throughout the book and a drawing tutorial for Wally and Bo at the end.

thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

i have not reviewed children’s books before so i didn’t know what i would have to say about this book but as it turns out, more than i thought i would:

i was originally interested in this book for the absolutely adorable art style of our main character, wally. i like graphic novels & especially ones with cute critters. this one especially has a cute plot line of his mail delivery.

wally is a dedicated mail delivery worker who helps out his neighbors whenever he can. he encounters different circumstances with cute little rhyming mottos for how to deal with it.

there are cute tidbits like find & seek throughout the book and a little how to draw wally & bo at the end that i think really would add to the experience for children reading it!

even as an adult reading this, i thought this book was really cute & fun. i will definitely have to keep my eye out for this series when they come to get for the littles in my life!

The Faraway Forest was such an interesting read. I was invested in Wally & Bo. I would love to read more about Wally's world. The art was wonderful and I enjoyed the colors. This is perfect for someone who wants a short engaging story with beautiful art.

Thank you for the ARC. This charming graphic novel is about Wally, a raccoon with a very important job -- he delivers the mail -- no matter the circumstances. His adorable sidekick, a white rabbit named Bo, is along for the journey. The book features fun find and seek challenges throughout the book and quick drawing steps for the reader to draw Wally and Bo. I will be adding this book for consideration on our state's graphic novel list.

This was so cute
Wally is precious and deserves the world
The illustrations were big
Lovely for a first time chapter book

This is a cute book about a mail delivery creature and his friends he delivers too. He believes that he has to make deliveries in any kind of weather, but learns that friends can come through for you when you need it the most.

A really cute book that has lots of fun things to look at.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Such a lovely story with such great artwork. Borders on kawaii and manga style, but with cute little critters. The graphic novel is definitely set up for younger audiences and could even be treated like a picture book for a bedtime story or read along. There is a nice message in this, about helping out each other and also about delivering on commitments. But it's not so heavy that the story is overburdened by it. I did wonder about the one neighbour who wanted things delivered at a set time, because it felt a little out of place based on how the story worked and how the mail seemed to be delivered normally. But maybe that was the point, that not everyone is as flexible to the needs of others.

All in all, the story works well. The characters are well-developed. And I think this would be a fun read for an early reader especially one who likes cute critters.

A lovely, reassuring graphic novel for the youngest readers. It has a colorful, cozy vibe that reminds me of Hello World and the other books from Ethan Long. This is a good series start, as you can see how the characters could develop and how easily other creatures could fit in.

This is a good choice for older readers who might be behind their grade level in reading, as the words are few but they'll feel more like they're reading a big kid book.

Thank you for the ARc. I will purchase for my library.

This was absolutely delightful. The Faraway Forest: Wally's Route follows Wally, a raccoon mailman, and his best friend Bo (a rabbit). Wally enjoys his job, especially stopping to talk to his neighbors and helping the people on his route. Unfortunately, this means his deliveries to his last stop (the grumpy Mr. Sternbill) are often late into the evening. When Wally gets sick, the town rallies around to help him. This is a short, early chapter graphic novel that has a great appeal to kids.

Kayla Catanzaro's color work elevates the text even more, with eye-catching colors that will definitely have this book flying off the shelf in my elementary school library.

Perfect for fans of Paulina Ganucheau's Lemon Bird and Renee Kurilla's The Flower Garden.

What a sweet, cozy graphic novel about a racoon mail carrier and his little rabbit sidekick! It had lots of adorable forest animals, bright colors, a sweet story about community, and easy to read and navigate text and speech bubbles. This is perfect for early and reluctant readers (thinking specifically of the K-2 age), with some handy rhyming catchphrases that will be great for kids to keep in mind. My students will especially appreciate the added elements of the item scavenger hunt in each chapter, and the "How to Draw" section at the end.
Overall, an adorable graphic novel, and definitely one I'll be adding to my collection. Fingers crossed that this becomes a series!

"The Faraway Forest: Wally's Route" is a middle grade graphic novel by Debbie Fong. Mail carrier Wally (a raccoon-type creature) goes on his route delivering the mail and has cute adventures and mishaps along the way. Lots of learning about friendship and kindness in this cute book that appears to be the beginning of a series. A suggested purchase for middle grade graphic novel collections.

This was such a cute and wholesome read! Perfect for anyone who needs just a quick little moment of happiness! Also a great way to teach young kids the importance of community!

The art style is my favorite style I've ever seen in a graphic novel! I love the whimsy and the colorful, textured style! Very reminiscent of some of my favorite artists and illustrators online!