Together, a Forest: Drawing Connections Between Nature's Diversity and Our Own

(Hardback)

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Description

Explore a forest with a curious classroom in this breathtaking new picture book by the author of the beloved More Than Words, and experience the essential beauty of diversity in humanity and nature. Joy and her peers are eager to visit a nearby forest for a class trip. But Joy's excitement quickly turns into anxiety when she is asked to choose one thing in the area for a school assignment. Seeing her classmates connecting with the natural environment, Joy discovers how each of their choices reflect the ways they relate to and interact with the world. Together, a Forest begins as an exciting journey into nature and blossoms into a meditation on how our unique personalities and ways of being help create a more vibrant and beautiful world. The forest reveals that everyone-including those of us with disabilities and neurodivergence-belong to nature. There is no one right way for a mind, body, or person to be. Perfect for classrooms and home libraries with accessible social-emotional and STEM themes, this picture book highlights the importance of interdependence, inclusion and celebrating diversity in our communities.

Reviews

Praise for More Than Words

"MacLean's gouache, pencil crayon, acrylic ink, and digital illustrations depict a class diverse in skin tone, ethnicity, religion, and ability. We see children who use wheelchairs, a child with a hearing impairment, a service dog, and a student who uses oxygen tubing . . . A warmly inclusive look at the many ways we communicate with one another." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"With affirming and informative language, this book has a place in every collection supporting and celebrating the many methods of communication children and adults are using today. Highly recommended." --School Library Journal

"[H]eartwarming and insightful . . . More Than Words has the potential to spark meaningful conversations among parents, teachers, and caregivers, helping children develop a broader perspective on communication. It has the potential to inspire meaningful discussions about acceptance, understanding, and the beauty of expressing oneself in various ways." --Waterloo Region Record

Author Bio

Roz MacLean is an award-winning Canadian illustrator and children's writer. She especially loves making art about themes that are important to her, like exploring emotions and diverse ways of being in the world. She is passionate about education, inclusion, and the arts. rozmaclean.com