The Emerald Forest

A powerful and moving picture book showing how wildlife campaigners can help endangered Orangutans.

Orangutan and her family live in a vast emerald forest, bursting with life…until one day a monstrous machine tears Orangutan’s tree from the ground. The family have to leave the emerald forest – but where can they go to? This powerful and moving picture book is set in tropical Sumatra, an island that has lost almost half its rainforest cover in recent years. The story graphically describes the reactions of an orangutan family to the destruction of their age-old home, but also shows how wildlife campaigners are bringing hope for the future.

“Praise for Immi's Gift: "A story with a quiet magic and beauty."-- Publishers Weekly , Starred Review "Skilled, appealing watercolor-and-pencil illustrations."-- Booklist "Skillful painting and the softness of [Littllewood's] expressive pencil work beautifully impart this gentle tale."-- Kirkus Reviews "The painterly illustrations done in colored pencil, watercolor, and gouache capture Immi's frozen world."-- School Library Journal”

"The Emerald Forest is a beautiful picture book which can be enjoyed on many levels... The jewel-like illustrations are gorgeous and help the reader immerse themselves in the glory of the emerald jungle. One for any classroom bookshelf, school library or a wonderful birthday gift for any environmentally-aware child."

"This powerful and moving picture book is set in tropical Sumatra, an island that has lost almost half its rainforest cover in recent years. The story graphically describes the reactions of an orangutan family to the destruction of their age-old home, but also shows how wildlife campaigners are bringing hope for the future."

"A beautifully illustrated and well written story... The illustrations compliment the writing and bring the story to life....a perfect book for KS1 and 2 and would be great to share as part of a rainforest topic! It could be used as a stimulus for creative writing too."

"A beautiful, lyrical and moving story of Orangutan, her growing family and the vivid forest in which they live... The tropical rainforest setting is vividly brought to life with Catherine’s carefully chosen words, which sweep us through the story with sensitivity and deft emotion. Karin’s watercolours are vibrant and full of movement, but also fragile just like the Sumatran forest they depict."

"This beautifully told and illustrated story works on many levels. It is an excellent introduction to current issues such as deforestation, wildlife extinction, climate change and conservation. The story also draws on matters that children will identify with, such as the fear of change and compassion to help those who are more vulnerable."

"The story is simply told and the use of language is engaging and emotive... Littlewood’s watercolour illustrations put Orangutan and her family at the centre of the story and the use of colour perfectly depicts the emotions that the family go through when the machine arrives... Hopeful in tone, this is much recommended for nature lovers and future conservationists in KS1."

"This beautiful and moving picture book uses powerful and thought-provoking images to explore themes of environmental protection, habitat destruction and species extinction. A spectacular and memorable work of art, The Emerald Forest is highly recommended for school libraries."

"This is a powerful and wonderfully emotive picture book (the expressions on the faces of the young orangutans are particularly affecting). Nearly half the rainforest has been lost to development in recent years. The story graphically describes the reactions of an orangutan family to the destruction of their age-old home, but also shows how wildlife campaigners are bringing hope for the future."

"Gorgeously illustrated with the jewel-bright colours of the Sumatran rain forest, this picture book carries a powerful message about the plight of the orangutans that live there...The story is simple, and more effective for that, allowing the images to convey the extraordinary beauty of the orangutan’s habitat, the quiet joy of their lifestyle, and the terrifying destruction wrought by mankind."

"Author Catherine Ward’s passion for wildlife conservation is apparent in her compelling prose and Karin Littlewood’s pictures have a power and poignancy of their own that makes the book even more impactful."

"The Emerald Forest is a gorgeous and moving picture book bringing to life the plight of orangutans on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The story, written by Catherine Ward, is written in prose but its language is poetic and has a lovely rhythm to it, making it perfect for reading aloud. Karin Littlewood’s illustrations are stunning, and the size of the pages and the scope of the pictures, bursting with the greenery and light of the Indonesian forest, create an immersive experience... 

This stunning Picture Book would be invaluable for use in a class topic on the use of palm oil, or more generally in talking about the impact of human activity – for better and for worse – on the environment."

"Karin Littlewood’s atmospheric illustrations help readers to explore with almost tactile detail the beauty of the orangutans and their habitats. Both author and illustrator help us to understand the realities of the environmental crisis affecting some of the world’s most endangered species. They help us to learn more about these species in an evocative picture-book story and they leave us full of hope for the future."

"Beautifully illustrated... This is a powerful and moving picture book that shows how conservation is important to save orangutans and the environment they live in. This story book is also an excellent introduction to current issues regarding deforestation and wildlife extinction. Children can identify with other issues such as compassion and a fear of change."

"Relaxed use of watercolour, skilled draughtsmanship and lovely sweetshop colours."

Catherine Ward has been working in primary schools since 2008. After joining SCBWI – the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators – she graduated from the Golden Egg Academy picture book programme in 2019. She is passionate about wildlife conservation, with a special interest in the endangered orangutans of Sumatra. The Emerald Forest is her debut picture book. She lives in Leicestershire.

Karin Littlewood is one of Britain’s most distinguished illustrators, celebrated for her beautiful and atmospheric paintings and sensitive character portrayal.

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