The illustrations were GORGEOUS!!!! I loved all the information and the “I spy” adjacent reading experience. I do wish there was more information on how animals interact with humans, especially as human populations grow and take over the animal kingdom’s natural environments. Overall, will make an excellent coffee table book or a perfect gift for a young, curious, nature lover.

The Forest Revealed by Jada Fitch, with text by Kateri Kosek, is a beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book that takes readers on a month-by-month journey through the forest. With detailed search-and-find artwork and fascinating natural history facts, it’s an engaging way for kids to explore seasonal changes in nature—I loved following the forest’s transformation throughout the year.

This book follows a wood through 12 months of the year. Looking at the changes and also what animals, birds, flora and for a can be found. The best bit are the illustrations. Hands down one of the most beautifully illustrated books I have ever seen. I am so greatful to have received a digital arc and I will now be purchasing my own copy to paw over the drawings whilst snuggled under a blanket with a cup of tea. Highly recommend
#TheForestRevealed #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
This book contains beautiful artwork and a lot of in-depth information. It was a joy to read and see all the different forest creatures and plants that were discovered.

Thanks for the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

🌲 The Forest Revealed: An Illustrated Year by Jada Fitch & Kateri Kosek

If a forest could keep a journal, The Forest Revealed would be its most intimate diary—twelve chapters of seasonal transformation, each painted with reverence and narrated with poetic insight. Illustrator Jada Fitch and naturalist-writer Kateri Kosek have created a luminous ode to the northern woods, where every leaf, lichen, and luna moth has a story to tell.

🖼️ Visual Storytelling at Its Finest

Each month is anchored by a breathtaking full-page painting, a visual symphony of flora and fauna rendered with astonishing detail. Fitch’s art invites readers to linger, to search, to marvel. It’s not just illustration—it’s immersion. Opposite each painting is a numbered key, turning every spread into a gentle scavenger hunt. Then, like stepping closer to a clearing, the following pages zoom in on select species, offering natural history tidbits that feel both educational and enchanting.

📚 Kosek’s prose is quietly lyrical, weaving scientific facts with a sense of wonder. Her writing doesn’t just inform—it evokes. Whether describing the insulating magic of snow or the secret lives of fungi, she invites readers to see the forest not as scenery, but as a living, breathing community.

🌿 Themes That Bloom

- Interconnectedness: The book subtly underscores how each organism—be it moss or moose—plays a role in the forest’s rhythm.

- Seasonal Awareness: By organizing the book month-by-month, Fitch and Kosek encourage readers to observe nature’s calendar, not just their own.

- Mindful Observation: The final section offers prompts for readers to engage with their own surroundings, transforming passive reading into active noticing.

🍄 The Forest Revealed is more than a nature book—it’s a seasonal meditation, a visual feast, and a quiet call to curiosity. It belongs on the shelf of every budding naturalist, every forest wanderer, and anyone who’s ever paused to admire a mushroom after rain. It’s a book to return to month after month, like a favorite trail that always reveals something new.

"The Forest Revealed" takes the reader on a journey through the forest month by month with a brief description of the months highlights followed by a stunning collection of animals and plants drawn and labelled by Jada Fitch. The next pages after go through the creatures and explain their habits, behaviours and even roles in the ecosystem. I especially loved the Great Horned Owl and the depiction of its pellets!

The best part of this book is that it is intended to be a nature book for young ones and there are so many interactive elements. The organized list of mammals, insects, birds etc., alongside the month's portrait means children can play a game and learn in bite size pieces as the month goes along. It also makes for a great addition to take on a walk or hike, so that children use their nature journal to learn as they go. There are countless ways the book can be used but the main highlight is that it can be used in so many different ways for young ones to enjoy and parents can really utilize the list of activites at the end to get the most out of this experience!

On a personal note as an adult reader, I absolutely loved the whimsical art style that felt like I was going through a botanist's sketches and drawings. Jada's personal essay at the end was a lovely bonus that was unexpected but so welcomed.

The Forest Revealed goes month by month, for the whole year and describes with detail what happens within it to : plants, trees, animals (birds, mammals), reptiles, insects (and spiders), even mushrooms and other moss and lichen. Pretty complete. All of this evolving through seasons, from January to December. So it involves the weather changes too, the evolution of that ecosystem through a year, the cycle of life within it.
It's a really really encyclopedia-like book, that allows space for small blurbs all around the pages to give information about each thing, flora and fauna. Pretty sure you could use it to go and wander into the woods to try and spot what you see in the book in real life outside. It's filled with really well draw detailed illustrations.

The forest can be scary at night, spooky in october, peaceful and cold in winter, féerique during the spring.

The drawings and illustration are really the best part of this book. I still don't know how people manage to paint, draw, create such beautiful pieces of art like this, so realistic with a pretty rich style, very detailed.

"Snow keeps everything warmer, acting like a blanket for grouse, hibernating frogs, the egg cases of spiders, and the forest floor itself." Did you know that ?

So here's a small summary as the year starts. In January snow keeps everything warmer. February the forest is hunger but the light grows too. In March snow melts and nature starts breathing again. In April, frogs sing, flowers start to bloom. In may, birds do their come back, singing around the forrest and we hear them. In June, as we humans gets our allergies, pollens get free and float in the wind as the birds build their homes for the following months. July sees a burst of colors and inhabitants, grouillant de monde. August brings hot summer and cicadas buzz and buzz. Until September starts the sprouting of mushrooms and birds head south. October brings autumn and colorful leaves falling. November prepares for winter as animals and insects gather their food and energy. Finally December brings back the sharp cold and animals furs turn white.

Before I picked up the book I was imagining more of landscapes illustrations, as the seasons come and go. But it's more focused on close up changes rather than an unzoomed view of the forest. It was a pleasant read and I applause the massive amount of work done to create that beautiful encyclopedia-like book. It's also a guide to help you discover and observe nature.

#TheForestRevealed #NetGalley

Beautiful artwork, informative exploring the animals of the forests in Northern US. The book highlights animals that are commonly seen during each month of the year. Very creatively portrayed with a lot of information, geared towards at least 3rd grade and up readers.

This book is magical. The illustrations, the details, the descriptions, absolutely perfect!
I felt like I was tearing up every time I turned the page because it was so beautiful.
To read this book in advance of its release humbled me because this book is a masterpiece. Educational yet eye-pleasing. Perfection.
I read it with my son, and even he found this book satisfying. He loved to find the small details in each illustration. He also discovered new animals and plants through this book. Even though we currently live in Indonesia and everything in this book is in the US, it was fun to learn and see what the nature there is and compare it to what we have here. I can't sketch or draw like this book, but this book inspired us (my son and I) to go outside and discover by taking pictures of nature.

Thank you to Jada Fitch, Kateri Kosek, Storey Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)
WOW!!! Just wow! What an absolutely stunning and beautifully presented book. The Forest Revealed is a delightful month-by-month snapshot of forest life across the seasons, filled with lush illustrations and fascinating details that invite readers, young and old, to pause, observe, and explore.

This book would be the perfect bedtime read to share with little ones. Each page is rich with visual treasures, making it feel like a gentle game of “I Spy” set in the heart of nature. Jada Fitch’s illustrations are gorgeous, and Kateri Kosek provides just the right touch of informative yet accessible writing to accompany the artwork.

Though the Forest depicted is based in the U.S., this book would make an excellent reference and learning tool for children (and adults!) around the world. The blend of art and science is so well balanced that it sparks curiosity while maintaining a soothing, cozy tone.

I gave this book a solid five stars, and I already can’t wait to get a physical copy for my granddaughter. I know she’ll love learning about the animals, plants, and rhythms of forest life, and The Forest Revealed is the perfect introduction to nature’s quiet magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for supplying me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful book. I thought the illustrations were lovely, and I especially liked that they centred around the same scene to see how the year changes the whole ecosystem. It's definitely got the I-would've-looked-over-this-so-much-when-I-was-younger quality.
It's gently informative and, even though some the names might be a bit old for children's non-fiction, there's nothing stopping the reader from just getting familiarised with said word.
Someone suggested doing a series of different types of forests, and I think that could be enjoyed!

This has got to be one of the most beautiful nature journals I have ever seen! I have to tip my hat off to the artist. Adults and children alike will find her detailed illustrations fascinating, and nature journaler can use this book as an inspiration and perhaps even something to aspire to. Surely a book to flip through and admire throughout the year, especially if you live in the area or are just visiting.

Definitely 5 stars.

I love how the book has pictures for every month, but also talks about why those animal, plant and ect. were included. This is a very fun and informative book that could be fun to pick up every season to look at the changes in nature.

I absolutely adore the artistic style in this book, which is filled with information about wildlife in the forest. The book takes a month-by-month approach, showing the reader what to look for. It would make a great companion to nature journaling and a wonderful gift for any nature enthusiast!

This is stunning.
Thank you NetGalley for the e-copy of this.
Absolutely gorgeous artwork with interesting information about the different creatures. I want a physical copy of this asap to just study the art in print!

Jada Fitch's intricate and detailed paintings create snapshots of life in the forest of the northeastern US during each month of the year. Each painting is labeled for readers to be able to identify all of the life forms (birds, mammals, reptiles, plants, slime molds, etc.) in the image. Each month has a short (2 paragraph) summary, followed by the painting and several other close ups with additional information about the species depicted.
A challenge for this book may be that the intended audience is unclear. The paintings are beautiful and many kids will enjoy the seek and find aspect of matching the numbers in the pictures to the names of the species in the key. However, the text is challenging (an early description of a fungus species includes the term "anthraquinone pigments," as just one example of the text's level) and not written with accessibility in mind. There isn't a glossary or consistent use of context clues to help readers tackle more challenging passages.
Overall, this is a nice to have book for collections where browseable nonfiction is popular, especially in the northeastern US. However, I wouldn't recommend it as an essential purchase for school libraries.

Informative meets forest whimsy in this beautifully illustrated book about life, critters, and foliage that lies in the forest. Complete with tips and tricks to help you observe and appreciate nature on your own. This is a great book!

Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC!

As I'm sure most reviews of this book will start - the illustrations are absolutely beautiful! The descriptions are both poetic and fascinating. There were so many small tidbits about the different animals and plants that I didn't know. The author also has a nice section at the end of the book with advice and ideas on how to more mindfully enjoy nature and keep a nature journal. I highly recommend this book (even for adults, honestly) and will definitely be purchasing for the nieces and nephews!

The art in the book is to die for! There is so much detail put into the depiction of all the different flora and fauna. I enjoy reading books that cover the cycles or nature throughout the seasons. The text is easy to understand for all ages. Children and adult readers would enjoy this book. I also loved learning about Jada's methods for creating her art and seeing her studio.

This is a lot more informative that I expected and hence a pleasant surprise. The illustration is absolutely gorgeous. It is a great book for KS3 students who are interested in the forest.