it was early morning when Val decided to visit Wonder Woods.
Val lives alone with his mom (his father is out of the picture) and while life can be a little lonely without his dad there, Val does have plenty to keep him busy.
There’s the Wonder Woods near Val’s house and he gets to explore it all the time. One day, Val is checking up on his frog, Croaker, when something surprising happens.
“Trees can’t talk,” said Val.
“I can talk. I can walk, and I can do many things,” said Spruce.
And so Val meets Spruce (who, as the name implies, is a Spruce tree.
At first Val is a little uncertain but soon warms up to his new friend.
“Hello Spruce, it is great to see you again. What have you been up to?”
But what was once a simple visit soon becomes something much more serious.
There’s lumberjacks in the woods – intent on chopping down all the trees.
There’s hunters in the woods – intent on clearing the forest of its animals.
What can one little boy do?
Turns out – a LOT when you have a giant tree on your side!
Overall – I quite liked this book!
Val was a compelling main character and I enjoyed viewing the world through his eyes.
Spruce was a wonderful guardian to Val and his friends. And I loved the way Spruce lifted each scene to a different level.
I thought the plot of this book was simplistic but enjoyable.
I liked how Val took realistic, easy steps to combat the threats to Spruce’s forest (i.e. starting a petition to prevent clear-cutting of the forest).
It’s a good example for kids to see what they can do to help out their natural world.
I really adored the illustrations scattered throughout the book – the frog one was so stinking cute!
I do wish there were more of them, and that they were more evenly spaced throughout the book – but the ones we did have definitely enhanced the book.
This book read more like a series of vignettes and I feel like book did a good job of going from mini-plot to mini-plot.
All in all, I found this book to be a fun and adorable read!
Carol Smith's New Book 'Tales of Wonder Woods' Shares a Real-Life-Meets-Fantasy Tale of a Young Boy and His Adventures
Recent release 'Tales of Wonder Woods' from Covenant Books author Carol Smith is a brilliant narrative that follows Val, a boy who found a wonderful friendship with Spruce, a giant spruce tree as their story intertwines with fiction in Wonder Woods where they are rescued from danger by an Indian chief.
PRESS RELEASE UPDATED: OCT 24, 2019
CITRUS HEIGHTS, Calif., October 24, 2019 (Newswire.com) - Carol Smith, a passionate writer who enjoys swimming, kayaking, and hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains; has completed her new book, “Tales of Wonder Woods”: an adventure-filled story of a Filipino-Irish boy named Val Martin as his life crosses path with fantasy in a journey revolving around ventures, risks, loss, sadness, triumphs, and heroics.
Carol writes, “Val is a young boy living with his mother; his father is gone. In the woods near his home, he meets a giant spruce tree. Spruce, the giant Sitka spruce tree is steadfast; his roots are planted deep in the earth just as his values are planted deep in his spirit. Their friendship matures and endures until the time of Spruce’s death. The story combines real life intertwining with the fantasy world that takes place in Wonder Woods. In the fantasy world, a near-fatal rafting trip happens where they are rescued by an Indian chief. Big Chief Yellow Bird is like an angel unaware who appears when Val and his cousins are in danger or in need of guidance in Wonder Woods. Adventure, danger, death, grief, disappointment, victory, and heroism are portrayed in this tale. There are real-life explanations for the fantasies that occur in the woods. Throughout the story, signs of Val’s father slowly returning home are emerging.”
Published by Covenant Books of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, Carol Smith’s new book is a page-turning novel that will bring the readers along a wild ride as reality clashes with fiction in Val’s adventures far beyond their small white house and into the wondrous Wonder Woods.
Readers can purchase “Tales of Wonder Woods” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.
Covenant Books is an international Christian owned and operated publishing house based in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Covenant Books specializes in all genres of work which appeal to the Christian market. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Covenant Books at 843-507-8373.
Source: Covenant Books
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