Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen

Summary from Goodreads:

A heartwarming story of friendship, loss, and finding your way home from debut author/illustrator Mai K. Nguyen!

Willow loves the woods near her house. They’re calm and quiet, so different from her own turbulent emotions, which she keeps locked away. When her emotions get the better of her one day, she decides to run away into the woods.

There, she meets Pilu, a lost tree spirit who can’t find her way back home—which turns out to be the magnolia grove Willow’s mom used to take her to. Willow offers to help Pilu, and the two quickly become friends.

But the journey is long, and Pilu isn’t sure she’s ready to return home yet—which infuriates Willow, who’s determined to make up for her own mistakes by getting Pilu back safely. As a storm rages and Willow’s emotions bubble to the surface, they suddenly take on a physical form, putting both girls in danger… and forcing Willow to confront her inner feelings once and for all.

Review:

This book was adorable. I can see many kids falling in love with the art. Everything is cute, including the monsters inside Willow who come out after she’s been suppressing her emotions for too long. The forest looks magical. And of course, Pilu seems magical too (she comes from a magnolia tree).

The book seriously reminds me of My Neighbor Totoro, and has a definite Miyazaki vibe (both in regards to nature and nature spirits, and to children dealing with loss). And like Miyazaki, Nguyen writes the story in a beautiful, empathetic way. You can’t help but love Willow and Pilu and want them both to succeed.

I loved the messages about taking charge of your emotions and letting yourself feel what you need to feel. I also loved the subplots about families and mothers. I like that Willow and Pilu found each other when they both really needed a friend, someone to listen and understand them.

This was a quick, sweet friendship story. In my opinion, this could have been a little bit darker. And I wish a few more things were tackled. I get why the author wanted to keep it lighter and friendlier though.

It’s my own personal pet peeve when a topic like bullying comes up, and then never gets resolved or mentioned again. It almost makes it feel like the book is saying bullying is normal and there’s nothing that can be done about it. I wish it was brought up to Willow’s sister at the end. That would have made me rate the book higher. I would have liked a tiny bit more resolution.

All in all, this book was adorable, friendly, and sweet. The art was magical. It had definite My Neighbor Totoro vibes (and I mean that as the highest compliment). The friendship story was great. The overall message was wonderful. I just wish a few more elements were resolved. I give it an 8/10.