When Musa ventures into the forest to fetch firewood for his sick mother his confidence quickly turns to fear as he hears loud, unexplained noises. Musa hides in a tree and as he waits his mind runs wild with frightening imaginings. Finally after a long time his heart begins to slow and when he pokes his head out of the tree he sees a familiar face from the village: a friendly cow. Musa follows the cow home. Although he has forgotten the firewood, he is proud to have overcome his fear. Fascinating, detailed illustrations vividly portray the power of imagined fears.
Categories: Anxiety
Alone in the Forest
Anxious children will be comforted by its story of irrational fears which turn out to be nothing but a trick of the mind.
Author: Gita Wolf, Andrea Anastasio
Illustrator: Bhajju Shyam
Publisher: Tara Books
Review by: Sarah Mohammed-Coleman