The Forest Has Eyes

Children's Literature - Kristin Harris

An exceptional collection of poems and paintings, this book is a treasure. They are a perfect complement to each other. Bev Doolitle's paintings quiver with detail, as they portray the western landscape and Native Americans of the last century. But the intricately crafted paintings also contain visual puns and puzzles. The poems are simple and direct and reflect a great reverence for nature. Children and adults will get hours of viewing and reading enjoyment from this collection.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-8-Doolittle's portfolio of 13 limited-edition prints celebrates the "magic eyes" of Native Americans. The artwork is often extraordinary; the free verse poetry/prayers accompanying it are, unfortunately, patronizing and preachy "How many scouts do you see?" or "My people, the two-legged ones,/Have bulldozed your dens to make highways/ and supermarkets". The artist's specialty is camouflage art, in which hidden images are subtly woven into the main one, adding an unexpected dimension to the scene. In one painting, rocks and grass form a wolf's head while in another gray rocks around a watering hole magically become buffalo in the pool's reflection. Doolittle's landscapes-with-hidden-faces collection is a terrific vehicle for getting youngsters to slow down and take another look. These clever paintings encourage children to let their imaginations run wild.-John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TX

Kirkus Reviews

Free verse poems celebrate nature and aspects of native people's lives, accompanied by romantic wilderness canvases by Doolittle. Children will enjoy hunting for the animals and people hidden in the rocks, water, and snowy landscapes. In one scene a smoky shadow is a grizzly bear; in another, snow on the rocks takes the form of an eagle. A rocky lake shore is also the head of a wolf, a herd of buffalo, the face of an old chief. Maclay invokes all the correct images, but the result is antiseptic: "Stay with me, Wolf Brother/As I watch over my village./Lend me your sharp eyes./Help me to remember that I am part of all I see:/Every animal and bird/Every rock, every tree./We are all part of the beautiful circle of life/Created by the Great Spirit." (Picture book. 6-9)