Love love love! Great message and beautiful story. I really love the way the sounds of the forest are illustrated into the pictures.

I really didn't like this one at all. The drawings weren't my thing, the story was both depressing and confusing, and the book was riddled with typos and odd style choices.

Pilu of the Woods, despite the title and the cover illustration, is actually about a girl named Willow who lives with her father and older sister, Linnea. She had a mother once, but she's dead now, and Willow is always getting in trouble because she doesn't know how to deal with her feelings. She bottles them up (literally) until she just has to let them out in a fit of anger and/or violence. This part of the book had me confused at first, because there are these drawings of little creatures in bottles throughout the panels, and I wasn't sure what that was about for the longest time. The bit about the mother is also confusing, because it almost seems like her death is what caused Willow to become the way she is. But that's not the case, because her mother tells her (before she dies) to always treat others with kindness and compassion, and even makes Willow promise this. It seems like a weird promise to have your child make, unless you know you're about to die (but that's not the case; it's implied the mother died in a car accident on a rainy night). So Willow gets even more screwed up by her emotions because she's trying to keep this promise to her dead mother. She bottles up all her feelings until they come exploding out, taking actual physical form in the woods and threatening her and her new friend, Pilu.

Despite her name being in the title, I actually think Pilu is kind of unnecessary. Aside from agreeing with Willow about how tough feelings can be, she doesn't really add much to the story or offer any interesting insights or revelations. I guess she's almost like a Manic Pixie Dream Girl in that respect, since her problems are only there so that Willow can come to her own realizations and solve her own problems. She's some sort of nature sprite who runs away from her magnolia grove because she feels ignored. But it's actually Willow who knows more about the woods, and teaches Pilu a few things about it. (Some of those bits were the most interesting parts of the book; I wish there had been a little bit more of that and a lot less of the girls trudging through the woods in silence.)

That last point brings me to one of the most annoying things about this book, and that's how it's all put together. Aside from many typos and annoying onomatopoeia that uses repetition of silent letters (I can't stand it when people write that something is "cuttteee!", so I really wasn't pleased to see things like "RRUSSSTTTLLEEE" in the panels), the drawings are littered with near-empty speech bubbles with nothing but ellipses to show when the characters are being silent. Call me crazy, but wouldn't not having them say anything show the same thing just as well with less clutter? Also, the speech bubbles are all over the place. Sometimes they're smooth, sometimes they're jagged (which I think signified shouting), and sometimes they look like clouds... which seems odd, because I usually think of cloud shapes as thought bubbles, while here they're used for actual speech... for no real reason that I could see.

I don't like the drawings here, either. They're too cutesy, and the author seems to like drawing tears and snot just a little too much (there's a panel near the beginning of the book that has Willow snorting back a slurpy booger that just about made me gag). One scene also has Willow sharing a peanut butter sandwich with her brand-new friend, which I thought was kind of irresponsible; teaching kids to share peanut butter with someone of unknown allergy status is not the best idea.

Overall, I'm disappointed. The story's premise is okay, but there's far too much crying going on and not enough about actually dealing with negative feelings. (Willow eventually comes to realize that she has to acknowledge those feelings and not keep them bottled up, but it's not really shown how she's going to do that.) And with so many typos and weird style choices for the format, it's not one of the stronger graphic novels I've read.

I got a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This children's book is about Willow who runs away from home for being angry at her sister and meets Pilu of the woods. Pilu can't find her way back home and Willow offers to help. This story was fantastic. I should definetly read more children's books. It talked about friendship, loss, family and inner demons in a way which even adults could take a lesson from. It shows you that you should not bottle up your fears but face them. And I found it to be a cute and awesome story. Definite reading recommendation !

The adorable art was the first part that caught my eye. A very sweet and heartfelt story about a little girl coping with grief and connecting to nature and her mother along the way. Would definitely suggest this one.

A very pretty middle grade graphic novel that deals with grief and family.
I liked the illustrations, the color and typography which are important aspects for me in a graphic novel.

Willow lives near the woods. She's struggling with some deep emotions. One day she has a fight with her sister and runs into the woods with her dog. She meets Pilu, a tree girl with hair of leaves, who is lost. Pilu isn't sure she's ready to go home and Willow isn't happy about that. They bond over the monsters that live in their head. The images in this book were gorgeous and I found myself totally drawn into the woods with Willow and Pilu.

This is a great graphic novel for middle grade graphic novel readers, especially those who are starting to hear their own loud monsters in their heads.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

Willow is feeling lost, figuratively and literally. She's just run away from her sister and her home to the woods where she once spent time with her mom. Her mom who's lost forever.

In the woods she meets Pilu, a tree spirit who is lost as well. Willow and Pilu's lives parallel each others in some ways. Willow and Pilu are both angry at their circumstances and don't know a way out their own turbulent anger. As Pilu starts talking about how she feels invisible and how she isn't sure she wants to go home something starts being drawn out in Willow. Pilu not wanting to go back home to her mother makes her think of the mother she will never get back to. This anger manifests into something real and scary. Will Willow be able to get control of her emotions? And will Pilu decide to face her family?

Pilu of the Woods is a story about facing our emotions before they get the better of us. The concept of Pilu of the Woods is one that could easily bring up my emotional side. The backstory alone got me teary eyed. The illustrations are colorful and have a pretty aesthetic. Everyone seems to love this comic, problem is, I don't.

Yes, I liked the concept and some of the artwork but there were so many little things that added up to me thinking this was just an okay read. First of all, did you think the person on the cover was a little girl? Because I didn't. I love art so if something feels off it sticks with me. I like how Willow is a tomboy and is a bit nerdy but she looks like a miniaturized tomboy teenage girl. Not a little girl who's a tomboy. She actually looks like Harry Potter. And me being a stickler for art design, it was an unnecessary distraction.

Also, do you see that dog on the cover? Yeah, he's hardly in the story which was a bummer. The other character who was actually part of the majority of the story, who is an adorable tree spirit, would have looked great on the cover but I digress.

Now the art design of Willow could have been looked over however, the pacing of the story was off and the message was a little too much in your face. Willow goes to the woods, finds the tree spirit, and immediately we get into what Willow needs to learn about her family life. I would have liked her to realize everything in the end. She automatically couldn't believe why Pilu didn't want to go home. How could she do that to her family? So then that should have been it. She learned her lesson so why would everything else need to happen?

So right away the message of the story is put in the forefront. Something that could have been put off. And then still while we journeyed and at the end of the story the message was pushed upon me again and again. I got it the first time so that frustrated me. The message is a good one that I think is great for the audience of this comic - children. I thought it was brilliant to have her emotions manifest because it shows how real her emotions feel to her. And just like kids (and sometimes adults too) she didn't know how to handle it. It's all great but not executed to my liking. But hey, everyone seems to like this comic and you may too. The author's illustrations are really pretty. I placed a couple of her images from her tumblr below so you can enjoy. Pilu of the Woods just wasn't for me.

What a sweet beautiful little book gem! 💖📚

I've only recently discovered the graphic novels genre. I always thought graphic novels were just bigger comic books but they are actually so much more.

Pilu of the Woods is aimed at young children but I think anyone would enjoy it. It has similar themes to the animated movie Inside Out. It touches on grief and beautifully explains mental illness. Pilu is upset and runs away into the woods which helps her discover how to deal with these things she doesn't quite understand yet. As a believer in the healing powers of nature, this book really hit home. The illustrations are gorgeous as well. I will be purchasing a physical copy for my personal collection.

***Thanks to Oni Press and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy. All opinions are my own.***

Very sweet story with a healthy approach to mental health for young ones. Grief is not something I see addressed very often in YA graphic novels and it's very much appreciated. And the illustrations are lovely!

This is such a lovely and heartfelt graphic novel. The plot is good, the illustrations even better. I loved the color palette and cartoony graphics which were drawn with so much detail. I also liked how the images of Willow‘s flashbacks were a little faded, which was very clever to depict her thoughts. A whimsical story about friendship, unpleasant feelings and how to embrace them instead of bottling them up.

Mini Review:

This is a heartwarming tale about Willow, who lives with her elder sister and father by the woods. She finds the woods around her house very appealing and it often reminds her about the time she spent there with her loving mother. Like any other geeky kid at school, she was often subjected to ridicule by her classmates. But once it reached a tipping point, willow could no longer take the insults and thus erupted a sudden burst of anger. Unable to keep her emotions in check, Willow lashes out at her big sister who tried to confront her. She then runs off far away from the house hoping that running away from her problems would make them disappear. But little did she know that her impromptu meeting with the Forest Spirit in the woods would help find her way in life.

Full credits for the author cum illustrator to deliver such a deep and profound message through the visually stunning artwork. I feel that this is a graphic novel which people of all ages can enjoy reading.

This was such a cute book. It has such good messages for young children. I also loved the art style of this book,

This all-ages book has breathtaking, gorgeous artwork and a heartbreakingly beautiful story. It deals with family, friendship, love and loss. I especially liked the way the main characters feelings of sadness and anger are brought to life as monsters which she must run from or learn to accept as part of herself. I really enjoyed reading Pilu of the Woods and can't wait to see what the author does in future.

I loved this! It would be perfect for fans of The Tea Dragon Society and the Hilda series. The art style was adorable and I loved how the colour palette changed to pastel when it was a memory. The message of acknowledging your feelings was one I think both children and adults could find touching and relatable, All the little details about mushrooms, monsters and the light inclusion of fantasy made it a perfect read,

I loved everything about this book! The artwork was wonderful, and I especially loved how she truly captured the essence of being in the woods - I could hear the birds chirping and the stream babbling and the various sounds under their feet, and somehow she captured that magicalness of woods! The plot was wonderful too, especially for this age group - everyone fights with their siblings and their parents sometimes, and everyone runs away sometimes (or at least wants to), and especially that everyone just needs that right friend to talk things out with. I thought it had a great message for preteens on dealing with their feelings!

first off, let me say thank you thank you thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me a chance to read one for free, in exchange for a fair and honest review. this is a GEM!

the art is incredible, and perfect for the story. i'm in love with the designs for our two heroines: the tomboy willow, with her floppy hair and big sweater, and our adorable freckled forest child pilu. the art lends a lot to the dreamy quality of the tale, and it reminds me a lot of the stories i grew up on myself.

we so often underestimate what children can understand, but they are as capable of grief, fear, and growth as the rest of us (if not more capable, in my opinion), and this novel is the perfect example of how to write big ideas for young people. this is a story of connection, loss, and grief, but it's also a story about the importance of our own emotions, even the negative ones. it's about healing, and what it means to face the bad things in order to reach the good. it's about the importance of compassion to ourselves, as well as to others. that's a lesson any of us can learn from, and i'll admit that it struck a chord deep within me as i read.

overall, this is a beautiful little novel, and i can't wait to purchase my own copy once it's released!

Pilu of the Woods is such a delight. Told via the idea of (adorable, honestly) monsters in mason jars, the overall take-away I got from this is to not bottle up emotions because they will not like that (see: cute-monster-frowny-faces) and eventually it will all explode and quite possibly hurt yourself in the process.

The story is centered around Willow, a young girl who has a habit of bottling up emotions, her dog Chico (the goodest boi omg that puppy is the best!) and Pilu, a tree spirit who lives in the magnolia trees near Willow's home but has run away because her mother is upset with her, and now can't find her way home. Willow herself has just run away from home because she's upset with her older sister, and decides to show Willow the way back to the magnolia trees. On the journey back, Willow discovers the secret to not only dealing with her little bottled-up monsters, but also how to do so healthily. There's a lovely message of both mental health, friendship and loneliness to be found here, and a bunch of nifty mushroom facts, too! I mean, even the so-called "monsters" are cute as all get-out, too, so there is only winning with this book. Honestly, just, the art. It's so great.

This book is truly magical. It's an emotional journey through grief and learning to live with your inner demons. And friendship of course.
Willow gets angry with her big sister and runs away to the woods. There she encounters a little tree spirit Pilu, who has also run away and now is lost. Willow knows where Pilu's magnolia grove home is and promises to show the way.
The colors of the illustration are true to the earthy theme. And the illustrations are simply superb.
Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for a free copy of this book.

This story was so touching and had such deep meaning. It really was heartfelt and even made me tear up. This was short and very sweet and I would definitely recommend this to others. I thought the ending was really beautiful

This is a really sweet look at grief and bottling up your feelings. It is appropriate for a young child as the pictures are very beautiful and detailed of nature and the woods. The story of a young girl who gets angry and runs away to the forest and finds a lost wood nymph is delightful. It describes making new friends but also still remembering those who are gone.