Nusti and Lili are a pair of cheerful squirrels that embark together on their first day of school. At forest school, they meet their rabbit teacher and a variety of other woodland creature classmates. The teacher, Miss Jade, has fun and interesting activities for the young students in her class to enjoy. After lunch and a nap, the young critters surprise their teacher with a thoughtful gift before the end of the school day. When Nutsi’s mother picks them up after school and asks how their day was, the two squirrels enthusiastically reply, “It was so much fun!”
Perfect for preschoolers that may be nervous or curious about their first day of school, Nutsi and Lili at Forest School shows that school can be an enjoyable experience for children. The artwork is clear and colorful, and the characters, with their large bright eyes and unwavering smiles, are charming. The squirrels’ peers include a hedgehog, a fawn, a bear, a fox and a badger, and each one is depicted in a distinctive and delightful way. Although not an obvious theme of the book, it may be noted that all of these different creatures’ ability to get along with each other so well could provide a learning opportunity, helping readers to show impartiality and inclusivity. While the majority of the book is written in simple, straightforward language for young ones, on one page Miss Jade shares the proper name of a ‘helicopter seed’, which even adults may find informative. Having both written and illustrated the book, Emma Paidge has created a real treat for young children. Nutsi and Lili at Forest School is a great book for parents and adults to read to youths that are interested in forest animals or to kids that are about to start school.
