Named Best Picture Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews and Shelf Awareness

From the creator of the acclaimed and beloved Pokko and the Drum comes an emotionally resonant picture book about trust, worry, and loyalty between a father and daughter.

Mina and her father live in a hollowed-out tree stump on the edge of a pond on the edge of a forest. Nothing ever bothers Mina, until one day, her father brings home a suspicious surprise from the woods.

Should Mina trust her father—or listen to her own instincts?

About The Author

Photo courtesy of the author

Matthew Forsythe

Matthew Forsythe is the author-illustrator of Pokko and the Drum, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, a recipient of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor, and a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. He is also an illustrator for animated films and television. His credits include Adventure Time, The Midnight Gospel, and Robin Robin, a stop-motion animated musical from Aardman Animations and Netflix. He lives in Los Angeles. Visit him at ComingUpforAir.net.

About The Illustrator

Photo courtesy of the author

Matthew Forsythe

Product Details

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (February 15, 2022)
Length: 68 pages
ISBN13: 9781982182816
Ages: 4 - 8

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Raves and Reviews

“[Mina] will feel exactly right to every bookworm lucky enough to find this treasure. . . . [A] funny (for all ages!) picture book, beautifully illustrated and full of unexpected details.”
— Shelf Awareness for Readers (Starred Review)

“The art really steals the show, especially the sly-eyed, oversized cat who looms over the pages with razor-sharp claws . . . Simple dialogue and stealthy repetition will boost a budding reader while some of the more sophisticated vocabulary will stretch their skills, and a surprise saviour provides an opportunity for dramatic interpretation during a humorous read aloud.”
— Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books (Starred Review)