Where the Forest Meets the Sea
August 17th 2006 04:39
Where the Forest Meets the Sea, by Jeannie Baker
Environment vs. progress, the oncoming spread of civilisation, the displacement of a world heritage site, the hidden history of a rainforest, the passing down of wisdom through generations... these aren't really the typical themes you might find in a picture book for children with minimalist text, but then again 'Where the Forest Meets the Sea' isn't your typical children's book.
I remember this one from way back when I was extra little and in primary school, it was a great book then and it's still a great book now. It's biggest asset is, no doubt, it's iconic illustration style - a kind of layered cut-n-paste panorama that uses material to give the pictures a three-dimensional feel. The author (and illustrator) Jeannie Baker uses this style in all her books I think (I've only seen one or two of her books - this is her most famous one).
A scene from the book
'Where the Forest meets the Sea' is set in Australia's only surviving rainforest, the Daintree, and follows the explorations of a boy who takes a boatride through the forest with his grandfather. The boy imagines/sees various dinosaurs and forgotten peoples who once inhabited the forest, along with some of the forest's current animal inhabitants, and the final cautioning image of the book shows a city superimposed over the once beautiful coastline. It's a much needed wake up call in regards to a rainforest that is disappearing all-too-fast and I'm glad this book has remained popular in it's twenty-something years and the more children who read it, well, maybe the more people will grow up knowing how special a place like this is?
I went to the Daintree recently, about a month ago, and it was astounding. This book does a remarkable job of showing it in all it's glory and I'll be a very sad panda if places like this continue to become rarer and rarer. Go give this book to a kid!
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