Environment vs. progress, the oncoming spread of civilisation, the displacement of a world heritage site, the hidden history of a rainforest, the passing down of wisdom through generations... these aren't really the typical themes you might find in a picture book for children with minimal text, but then again Where the Forest Meets the Sea isn't your typical children's book.
I remember this one from way back when I was extra little and in primary school, it was a great book then and it's still a great book now. Its biggest asset is, no doubt, the iconic illustration style - a kind of layered cut-n-paste panorama that uses material to give the pictures a three-dimensional feel. The author (and illustrator) Jeannie Baker uses this style in all her books.
Where the Forest meets the Sea is set in Australia's only surviving rainforest, the Daintree, and follows the explorations of a boy who takes a boatride through the forest with his grandfather. The boy imagines/sees various dinosaurs and forgotten peoples who once inhabited the forest, along with some of the forest's current animal inhabitants, and the final cautioning image of the book shows a city superimposed over the once beautiful coastline. It's a much needed wake up call in regards to a rainforest that is disappearing all-too-fast and I'm glad that this book has remained popular enough in it's twenty-something years to stay in print, and the more children who read it, well, maybe it'll mean more people will grow up knowing how special a place like this is.
I went to the Daintree a couple of years ago, and it was astounding. This book does a remarkable job of showing it in all its glory and I'll be a very sad panda if places like this continue to become rarer and rarer. Go give this book to a kid!
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