FORTS

Venit, making her picture book debut, invites young readers to expand their definition of fort beyond pillow piles and tree houses.

An ode to forts of all kinds, from those found in nature to those we make ourselves. A sweeping fall landscape greets readers who open this book.

Venit and Pak's picture book vividly illustrates the deep sense of comfort and vast imaginative power of forts. This wondrous exploration of comforting spaces offers its own warmth, with each nostalgic page reflecting a familiar kind of fort, from the ancient keep of an oak tree to the cozy stronghold of cushions in the living room. Venit adroitly conveys the message that forts are not only nooks of cultivated imagination but also sanctuaries of safety. They provide shelter from the rain, shade from the sun, but most of all space to simply be. Time spent in a fort teaches lessons of creativity, natural phenomena, and self-awareness. Pak's illustrations complement Venit's message, conjuring up page after page of boundless watercolor worlds rich with deep discovery, while manipulating light and shadow to emphasize that forts are for any time of the day. Together they encourage new readers and listeners to find or construct their own forts, and to seek a special connection with those tiny worlds they can share with themselves or friends.

I love this celebration of forts, the ones found in nature to the ones you can build for yourself. Forts are for gathering with friends or being alone in this delightful picture book.