The Mailbox in the Forest by Kyoko Hara and Illustrated by Kazue Takahashi

The Mailbox in the Forest

by Kyoko Hara and Illustrated by Kazue Takahashi is a delicate, tender story of friendship and understanding. Everything starts when little Mayu stays for some while to the house of her grand-parents. They live close to a forest and Mayu is intrigued by the mystery that the forest is transmitting her. Although her granny reassures her that no one lives in the forest, Mayu is skeptical.

At the same time her grand-father receives several letters. Mayu asks to her grand-father what she finds of exciting in reading a letter: her grand-father asks her if she has sent a letter to someone. Mayu tells him that she hasn't never done it, because calling by phone is simpler. Her grand-father so explains her the art of letter-writing. You can re-read what a person sent you, a lot of times, affirms him.

Mayu now, would want to have someone with which exchanging thoughts, but...Where to find him?

Then, one day, wondering in the forest, she discovers a sort of mailbox: someone waits for some letters.

Mayu writes the first one, starting, she discovers, a wonderful and mysterious correspondence with a guy who, certainly doesn't have a great property of language, but that he is more than OK to her. 

At the end the big suprise and the promise of staying in touch also when Mayu leaves because it is time to return home. 

Although in this story there is the discovery of a wild animal as a correspondent, it is understandable that behind that animal, as also for example in the legend of the wolf of Gubbio, there is boy with some difficulties in this case, someone who didn't sufficiently study for too many reasons, maybe sick, but that he is kind, nice, and has a lot of stories to tell. A real and appreciated friend for Mayu.

I see in this fairy-tale the encounter of two completely different friends in "friendship" for each other, with an important lesson learned: it is crucial to stay in touch with our dear ones and sometimes letters are better than a call or an e-mail.

I love the cover, and all the illustrations have a delicate and dreaming touch.

Highly recommended.

I thank Akira and NetGalley for the copies of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori