A delightful tale with a strong message. Cycles of life in the
forest told in a friendly way. How every species on earth depends
on another and what that means. Lorne Rothman has produced an
ecological and timely tale for all ages.
The characters draw the reader in immediately. Little Fur, a colony
of tent caterpillars hatched in an oak tree in Southcrop Forest,
becomes the lifesaving hero of the plot, under the guidance of
Auja, the oak tree. As Fur says, "I'm we" and "we're me", the
colony thinks and moves as one. The forest is dying of disease and
deforestation, eradicated by the "hewmen" with their giant
machinery to make way for development. A lot of information is in
this book and told in a form that allows us to learn about the
non-human world around us through this entertaining fable.
These particular tent caterpillars are from very ancient stock
called "Runes", which have not put in an appearance for 1,000
years. They have helped the forest in the past and must do so
again. Replenish the soil and bring it back to its previous health
so the trees can flourish again. The extent to which environment
and habitat are dependent on each other to survive the toxins in
the air, the changes in the weather patterns, as well as the lack
of coordination with human life is demonstrated so well. There are
also a number of endnotes that are very helpful.
The trees of Southcrop Forest have developed a form of
communication with the Runes and with each other, a network through
leaves and roots. Through this process they are able to direct the
Runes to the "Southcrop Farm" where they will be given what is
needed to take to the most important Forest at Dark Sky, giving the
Runes the necessary information to bring back the balance and
future of the devastated forests around them. The concept of the
story and the flow of information through dialogue is wonderful and
at the same time very insightful. 5 stars