What a great book! My first thoughts were immediately focused on the richly detailed illustrations. They are lovely, and a cornerstone of the whole book. In fact, the whole aesthetic layout of this book is excellent.

Then there are the facts—all clear and intriguing. There were even some delightful surprises. My favorite being the lichen that, after 18 months in space--with no water or light, exposed to ultraviolet radiation—returned to life when it came back to Earth.

There are even some nature activities in the back of the book.

All in all, this is a lovely guide that focuses on celebrating nature throughout the months.

This is an absolutely gorgeous book that captures the beauty and intricacy of the northern forest. Each month of the year is represented with a richly detailed illustration, packed with plants, fungi, insects, and animals - labeled and paired with short passages that share fascinating information. The effect is both educational and enchanting.

The artwork is stunning in its complexity, with so much to notice on every page. It’s the kind of book that rewards you for slowing down and looking closely. While it can certainly be read digitally, I think it could really shine in hard copy, where you can appreciate the full spread of the art and layout.

What I loved most was the balance between scientific detail and almost poetic reflection. The writing doesn’t just describe species, it invites the reader into the forest with thoughtful observations and even questions, encouraging a deeper relationship with nature. The final section expands that invitation outward, showing how we can all engage with the wild—whether in a vast forest or a backyard or city park.

It’s also a book I would love to use with my kids, to nurture their love of the natural world and introduce them to the interconnectedness of life. My only wish? That there were versions focused on different regions, so readers could connect more directly with the species and ecosystems where they live.
Overall, this is a beautiful, thoughtful, and almost philosophical nature book—as suited to adults as to children. A celebration of the wild, month by month.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Forest Revealed: An Illustrated Year by Jada Fitch, Kateri Kosek (contributor)

Rating: Five stars — I fell in love with The Forest Revealed from the moment I picked it up.

This book is a beautiful invitation to slow down and look closely at the northern forest across a full year. Artist Jada Fitch gives us twelve stunning, large-format paintings — one for each month — and every spread is alive with tiny, perfectly observed details: birds tucked in branches, mammals peeking through undergrowth, insects crawling along leaves, mushrooms and mosses carpeting the forest floor. Opposite each painting is a numbered key that points you to everything in the scene, turning each page into a delightful search-and-find puzzle that keeps revealing more the longer you look. Then you flip the page and Kateri Kosek, the writer and naturalist, zooms in with accessible, engaging text that uncovers the stories behind the plants and animals, explains seasonal changes, and sprinkles in fun facts that make you want to go outside and explore.

I have to say — the cover alone sold me. It’s gorgeous and sets the tone for what’s inside: carefully rendered, richly colored art that feels both whimsical and scientifically considerate. The book really functions like a little encyclopedia for a year in the forest. It tracks the cycles—how weather shifts, when trees leaf out or drop seeds, when certain insects or fungi appear—and ties those changes to the plants and creatures you’ll see in that month. The pages are full of compact, informative blurbs that are just the right length: enough to satisfy curiosity without getting bogged down in jargon.

If you love nature, detailed illustration, or books that reward repeated visits, this one is a perfect gift. It’s equal parts art book, field guide, and bedtime discovery. Five stars — I’ll be turning these pages for a long time.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

This is a lovely short book. The illustrations are beautiful. The nature trivia is fascinating. Going through the forest month by month like this was pretty meditative.

I just want to bask in this book. The stunning illustrations are arranged by month, based on what the illustrator might encounter in her forest at that time of the year. Each spread features an "I Spy" type checklist to find in the detailed image. Each month also goes into detailed information about some of the plant, bird, and animal life that one might find. Again, using this after a class walk or comparing your neighbourhood forest to the illustrator's would allow for lots of inquiry. I would use this text with classes right from K-8 and probably beyond, and each age group would take something different. This is a book to explore with a younger person to start with, and gradually let them dive into it on their own. I want to plan monthly walks on my campus' trails around this book.
Huge praise to @storeypub for this It should find a place in loads of libraries and on the bookshelves of all the budding naturalists you know.

Jada Fitch’s The Forest Revealed is a beautifully illustrated celebration of the hidden wonders of the natural world. With intricate, layered artwork that invites you to linger over each page, Fitch guides readers through a forest’s secret life — from the creatures that scurry under leaves to the birds nesting high above.

Where the book truly shines is in its ability to foster a sense of connection to the environment without feeling preachy. the art is meticulous yet warm, and her attention to ecological relationships adds depth beyond the surface beauty. While the text is relatively simple, it complements the visuals rather than competing with them — making this an ideal read-aloud or quiet browse.

Thank you to Storey Publishing | Storey Publishing, LLC, the author and NetGalley for a DRC in return for an honest review

Jada Fitch's exquisite illustrations paired with Naturalist Kateri Kosekbring's wondrous text brings this magnificent book alive - They compliment each other perfectly. Fitch’s exquisite, meticulously detailed artwork is so carefully drawn that it is possible to zoom right in and appreciate every little detail. The book is filled with fascinating facts and captivating stories about the plants, animals, and interconnected systems that make up the forest. It’s both educational and enchanting.

This is one of the finest nature books I’ve ever encountered - an absolute standout. Both adults and children will appreciate it, whether reading together or independently.

When it releases on 9th September, make sure to head to your local independent bookshop and grab a physical copy. This is a book that deserves a permanent place on your coffee table.

#TheForestRevealed #NetGalley

This is a beautiful books for adults and children alike. I loved the organisation of exploring the forest month by month and the inclusion of mammals, birds and insects too. The illustrations were stunning and definitely the highlight of the book for me.

The illustrations were GORGEOUS!!!! I loved all the information and the “I spy” adjacent reading experience. I do wish there was more information on how animals interact with humans, especially as human populations grow and take over the animal kingdom’s natural environments. Overall, will make an excellent coffee table book or a perfect gift for a young, curious, nature lover.

The Forest Revealed by Jada Fitch, with text by Kateri Kosek, is a beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book that takes readers on a month-by-month journey through the forest. With detailed search-and-find artwork and fascinating natural history facts, it’s an engaging way for kids to explore seasonal changes in nature—I loved following the forest’s transformation throughout the year.

This book follows a wood through 12 months of the year. Looking at the changes and also what animals, birds, flora and for a can be found. The best bit are the illustrations. Hands down one of the most beautifully illustrated books I have ever seen. I am so greatful to have received a digital arc and I will now be purchasing my own copy to paw over the drawings whilst snuggled under a blanket with a cup of tea. Highly recommend
#TheForestRevealed #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
This book contains beautiful artwork and a lot of in-depth information. It was a joy to read and see all the different forest creatures and plants that were discovered.

Thanks for the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

🌲 The Forest Revealed: An Illustrated Year by Jada Fitch & Kateri Kosek

If a forest could keep a journal, The Forest Revealed would be its most intimate diary—twelve chapters of seasonal transformation, each painted with reverence and narrated with poetic insight. Illustrator Jada Fitch and naturalist-writer Kateri Kosek have created a luminous ode to the northern woods, where every leaf, lichen, and luna moth has a story to tell.

🖼️ Visual Storytelling at Its Finest

Each month is anchored by a breathtaking full-page painting, a visual symphony of flora and fauna rendered with astonishing detail. Fitch’s art invites readers to linger, to search, to marvel. It’s not just illustration—it’s immersion. Opposite each painting is a numbered key, turning every spread into a gentle scavenger hunt. Then, like stepping closer to a clearing, the following pages zoom in on select species, offering natural history tidbits that feel both educational and enchanting.

📚 Kosek’s prose is quietly lyrical, weaving scientific facts with a sense of wonder. Her writing doesn’t just inform—it evokes. Whether describing the insulating magic of snow or the secret lives of fungi, she invites readers to see the forest not as scenery, but as a living, breathing community.

🌿 Themes That Bloom

- Interconnectedness: The book subtly underscores how each organism—be it moss or moose—plays a role in the forest’s rhythm.

- Seasonal Awareness: By organizing the book month-by-month, Fitch and Kosek encourage readers to observe nature’s calendar, not just their own.

- Mindful Observation: The final section offers prompts for readers to engage with their own surroundings, transforming passive reading into active noticing.

🍄 The Forest Revealed is more than a nature book—it’s a seasonal meditation, a visual feast, and a quiet call to curiosity. It belongs on the shelf of every budding naturalist, every forest wanderer, and anyone who’s ever paused to admire a mushroom after rain. It’s a book to return to month after month, like a favorite trail that always reveals something new.

"The Forest Revealed" takes the reader on a journey through the forest month by month with a brief description of the months highlights followed by a stunning collection of animals and plants drawn and labelled by Jada Fitch. The next pages after go through the creatures and explain their habits, behaviours and even roles in the ecosystem. I especially loved the Great Horned Owl and the depiction of its pellets!

The best part of this book is that it is intended to be a nature book for young ones and there are so many interactive elements. The organized list of mammals, insects, birds etc., alongside the month's portrait means children can play a game and learn in bite size pieces as the month goes along. It also makes for a great addition to take on a walk or hike, so that children use their nature journal to learn as they go. There are countless ways the book can be used but the main highlight is that it can be used in so many different ways for young ones to enjoy and parents can really utilize the list of activites at the end to get the most out of this experience!

On a personal note as an adult reader, I absolutely loved the whimsical art style that felt like I was going through a botanist's sketches and drawings. Jada's personal essay at the end was a lovely bonus that was unexpected but so welcomed.

The Forest Revealed goes month by month, for the whole year and describes with detail what happens within it to : plants, trees, animals (birds, mammals), reptiles, insects (and spiders), even mushrooms and other moss and lichen. Pretty complete. All of this evolving through seasons, from January to December. So it involves the weather changes too, the evolution of that ecosystem through a year, the cycle of life within it.
It's a really really encyclopedia-like book, that allows space for small blurbs all around the pages to give information about each thing, flora and fauna. Pretty sure you could use it to go and wander into the woods to try and spot what you see in the book in real life outside. It's filled with really well draw detailed illustrations.

The forest can be scary at night, spooky in october, peaceful and cold in winter, féerique during the spring.

The drawings and illustration are really the best part of this book. I still don't know how people manage to paint, draw, create such beautiful pieces of art like this, so realistic with a pretty rich style, very detailed.

"Snow keeps everything warmer, acting like a blanket for grouse, hibernating frogs, the egg cases of spiders, and the forest floor itself." Did you know that ?

So here's a small summary as the year starts. In January snow keeps everything warmer. February the forest is hunger but the light grows too. In March snow melts and nature starts breathing again. In April, frogs sing, flowers start to bloom. In may, birds do their come back, singing around the forrest and we hear them. In June, as we humans gets our allergies, pollens get free and float in the wind as the birds build their homes for the following months. July sees a burst of colors and inhabitants, grouillant de monde. August brings hot summer and cicadas buzz and buzz. Until September starts the sprouting of mushrooms and birds head south. October brings autumn and colorful leaves falling. November prepares for winter as animals and insects gather their food and energy. Finally December brings back the sharp cold and animals furs turn white.

Before I picked up the book I was imagining more of landscapes illustrations, as the seasons come and go. But it's more focused on close up changes rather than an unzoomed view of the forest. It was a pleasant read and I applause the massive amount of work done to create that beautiful encyclopedia-like book. It's also a guide to help you discover and observe nature.

#TheForestRevealed #NetGalley

Beautiful artwork, informative exploring the animals of the forests in Northern US. The book highlights animals that are commonly seen during each month of the year. Very creatively portrayed with a lot of information, geared towards at least 3rd grade and up readers.

This book is magical. The illustrations, the details, the descriptions, absolutely perfect!
I felt like I was tearing up every time I turned the page because it was so beautiful.
To read this book in advance of its release humbled me because this book is a masterpiece. Educational yet eye-pleasing. Perfection.
I read it with my son, and even he found this book satisfying. He loved to find the small details in each illustration. He also discovered new animals and plants through this book. Even though we currently live in Indonesia and everything in this book is in the US, it was fun to learn and see what the nature there is and compare it to what we have here. I can't sketch or draw like this book, but this book inspired us (my son and I) to go outside and discover by taking pictures of nature.

Thank you to Jada Fitch, Kateri Kosek, Storey Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)
WOW!!! Just wow! What an absolutely stunning and beautifully presented book. The Forest Revealed is a delightful month-by-month snapshot of forest life across the seasons, filled with lush illustrations and fascinating details that invite readers, young and old, to pause, observe, and explore.

This book would be the perfect bedtime read to share with little ones. Each page is rich with visual treasures, making it feel like a gentle game of “I Spy” set in the heart of nature. Jada Fitch’s illustrations are gorgeous, and Kateri Kosek provides just the right touch of informative yet accessible writing to accompany the artwork.

Though the Forest depicted is based in the U.S., this book would make an excellent reference and learning tool for children (and adults!) around the world. The blend of art and science is so well balanced that it sparks curiosity while maintaining a soothing, cozy tone.

I gave this book a solid five stars, and I already can’t wait to get a physical copy for my granddaughter. I know she’ll love learning about the animals, plants, and rhythms of forest life, and The Forest Revealed is the perfect introduction to nature’s quiet magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for supplying me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful book. I thought the illustrations were lovely, and I especially liked that they centred around the same scene to see how the year changes the whole ecosystem. It's definitely got the I-would've-looked-over-this-so-much-when-I-was-younger quality.
It's gently informative and, even though some the names might be a bit old for children's non-fiction, there's nothing stopping the reader from just getting familiarised with said word.
Someone suggested doing a series of different types of forests, and I think that could be enjoyed!

This has got to be one of the most beautiful nature journals I have ever seen! I have to tip my hat off to the artist. Adults and children alike will find her detailed illustrations fascinating, and nature journaler can use this book as an inspiration and perhaps even something to aspire to. Surely a book to flip through and admire throughout the year, especially if you live in the area or are just visiting.

Definitely 5 stars.