The Waking Wood
Alexi Francis
Big Picture Press

Deep in the woods one warm summer evening, as the moon begins to rise many creatures wake to wander and search for food. In that wood stands an ancient oak tree in the roots of which resides a badger family. As the wood becomes engulfed by night the badgers emerge including a young one that is far smaller than his siblings. Eager to explore, this cub wanders off and before long has been left behind as he follows a path far beyond the badgers’ sett. Attracted by its luminous light, the cub goes to investigate a glow worm and is soon surrounded by many more that glimmer like fallen stars. Then having sniffed the air of the gentle breeze, entranced by the earthy notes of its scent, on goes the little badger to see what might be beyond the glade.

At the wood’s edge he has a scary encounter with a fox

and having run to safety, now all alone in the darkness, he discovers that he’s come to a pine wood, so different from his woodlan§d home, the home he so much wants to return to. No easy task as all the paths look the same but ‘Ooooo! Kewick! Ooooo! Kewick!’ hears the lost cub. He recognises that it’s the owl’s call and recalling a lesson his elders have taught him, he is sure that sound will guide him back home.

Following the sound of the owl’s call, the cub soon starts recognising the sights, sounds and smells of his home and before too long he’s hurrying to greet his family and joining the other young cubs in a final play before bedtime. Lesson learnt, the smallest cub knows that for the near future he should concentrate on learning the ways of the woods and staying fairly close to his sett.

I love the circularity of the narrative that begins and ends with the ‘Choowa, Choowa, Choowa, Chirr, Chirr, Chirr’ sounds of the birds in the trees. There’s so much more to love too – the intricately detailed illustrations that have a textured quality, the die cut cover and intricate die cuts in the pages and Alexi Francis’s poetic telling.
A gorgeous book to keep, to read and re-read and to cherish.