Children's Book review - Elizabeth Munk's Forest Edge Adventure by Faye McFarland

Elizabeth Munk is the youngest of four chipmunk siblings. She is excited when her mother says she can go on her first trip to Forest Edge with her brothers to gather food for the pantry. The brothers do not want to take Elizabeth with them as they say she is too young and will not listen to them, but their Mum insists they need all the help they can get to prepare for the winter. Elizabeth does not understand that she should be looking for food. She collects decorative items she likes the look of. She is delighted with her efforts and all the pretty items she has found. What happens when Elizabeth arrives home without any food? Why does the family laugh at her finds? How does Elizabeth's stash turn out to be a valuable contribution? Read Elizabeth Munk's Forest Edge Adventure by Faye McFarland, illustrated by  Wesley Lowe, to learn the answers to these questions.

This sweet tale of the forest life of a family of chipmunks preparing for winter has beautiful descriptions. I particularly enjoyed seeing the forest through the eyes of Elizabeth as she sees it for the first time, which helps to picture Elizabeth's character. The delightful artwork works well with the writing to build a magical world of forest creatures.

Faye McFarland has done a fantastic job by using the story to explain to young children that everyone is different, as shown in the way Elizabeth's brothers get stuck into looking for supplies in the forest. In contrast, Elizabeth is taken by the beauty around her and wants to return some of that beauty to brighten the family home. McFarland shows with her words and Wesley Lowe's illustrations that Elizabeth is just as valuable to the family despite her different outlook. She provides beautiful items to decorate the home and make it a much prettier place to live in over the winter. 

It was a great idea of Faye McFarland to include a page giving details of the type of chipmunks Elizabeth Munk and her family were based on. I had never heard of Least Chipmunks and appreciated this addition, which I learned much from. There is also a glossary at the end of the book explaining some of the words used in the story; this is also well presented with illustrations.

Elizabeth Munk's Forest Edge Adventure is a beautifully written and well-presented book that I recommend to young children up to eight. Parents, and children up to six, will enjoy reading this book together and learning about forest life for the chipmunk family. Children aged six to eight will love to read this book by themselves. The illustrations and simple language work well together, and I loved that this is also an informative book. Children will learn while they enjoy the story; the illustrations are just as much a part of the story as the words.

I want to give Elizabeth Munk's Forest Edge Adventure by Faye McFarland 5 out of 5 stars. There was nothing I disliked about it. The editing and proofreading were perfect, and the story was entrancing. This is a well-written and beautifully illustrated book.