LEO AND THE SPOOKY FOREST

In Kane’s picture book, a young boy is the only one in his village who doesn’t fear the nearby Spooky Forest.

A small village is nestled on the edge of a scary wilderness, where trees have red eyes and shadows move by themselves. The adults are too scared to enter it, but a boy named Leo isn’t frightened; he wants to explore the forest with his dog, Snaggle. One night, the pair wander into the woods with a lantern, walk past the glowing eyes of trees and animals, and continue on; a whispering voice in the wind says that “only the brave” can enter a secret door, which leads to an unexpected place. Burton’s illustrations have a Germanic aspect, which may remind readers of such tales as “Hansel and Gretel.” The story has some spooky elements and images that may frighten very young readers, such as a green, smirking, elven figure, revealed as the keeper of the forest, and small animals with aggressively bright eyes. However, the tale’s message is positive and light, urging readers to be kind and brave, and to be aware that not everything that seems frightening is necessarily nefarious; sometimes, even scary creatures can be silly and kind. (Leo is portrayed with pale skin; other villagers have a range of skin tones.)

An initially frightening fairy tale with an upbeat message.