By Polly Ho-Yen (author) , Sojung Kim-McCarthy (illustrator)
"A sensitive and beautifully written story to help children cope when their parents split up."
Paperback Not Available
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April 2025 Book of the Month
Ziggy has never had any trouble getting to sleep at night, their bedtime routine with mum and dad – shower, toothbrushing, pyjamas with comets on warmed on the radiator, bedtime story – makes sleep come quickly and easily. But the night their parents explain they are going to be living apart, everything changes.
That night Ziggy asks for a light to be left on and when they do finally fall asleep, find themselves in the Night Forest, a dark wood, filled with rustlings and spooky noises. No matter where they go to sleep, at Dad’s or a friend’s, Ziggy finds themselves in the same wood when their eyes close. It’s only when Ziggy decides to explore a bit, climbing a tree and watching foxes playing, that they come to understand what’s really happening, and why they don’t need to be afraid.
With its mix of real life and imaginary, almost magical worlds, all described through Ziggy’s eyes, this story is full of reassurance for any young child whose parents are separating, or indeed for anyone who is prone to worry. The black and white illustrations perfectly match the warmth of the story which would be great to read aloud to young children and would also be an accessible and engaging read for newly independent readers.
The third illustrated young fiction offering from Polly Ho-Yen & Sojung Kim-McCarthy.
Read the full description
When Ziggy goes to sleep in their new bed at their dad’s house, they wake up in the middle of the dark and scary night forest. When even sleeping at their mum’s house doesn’t help, Ziggy is forced to face their fears... but maybe that scary forest isn’t as scary as it sounds?
Deals with themes of divorce/separation & night terrors through Polly’s poetic and gently magical lens, accompanied by black-and-white artwork by Sojung Kim-McCarthy.
Polly Ho-Yen used to be a primary school teacher in London and while she was teaching there she would get up very early in the morning to write stories. The first of those stories became her critically acclaimed debut novel Boy in the Tower, which was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award and FCBG Children’s Book Award. All four of her middle-grade novels – including Fly Me Home, Where Monster’s Lie and How I Saved the World in a Week – have been nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Polly’s previous younger fiction novel, The Boy Who Grew a Tree was shortlisted for the Teach Primary 2022 book awards, and featured in the 2023 Read for Empathy collection (primary). The book is also currently shortlisted for the inaugural The Week Junior Book Awards, in the Younger Fiction category.
She lives in Bristol with her husband and daughter.
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Author of the Month - Polly Ho-Yen
the best books for 7-9 year olds
Emma Chichester Clark
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Two Places to Call Home
Anna Liza and the Happy Practice
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
The third illustrated young fiction offering from Polly Ho-Yen & Sojung Kim-McCarthy. When Ziggy goes to sleep in their new bed at their dad’s house, they wake up in the middle of the dark and scary night forest. When even sleeping at their mum’s house doesn’t help, Ziggy is forced to face their fears... but maybe that scary forest isn’t as scary as it sounds?
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Night Forest and determined it is suitable for children aged 5-8 years old
The Night Forest features in the following genres: Featured Books for 5+ readers, Featured Books for 7+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, PSHE: Divorce, PSHE: Family Issues, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Books to Motivate Reluctant Readers age 7+, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. Not Available.
The Night Forest was written by Polly Ho-Yen and published by Knights Of Media
The Night Forest has 117 pages
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