Strongly reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's best movies, Pilu of the Woods follows the story of a young girl struggling to deal with her mother's death. Giving form to her negative emotions, Willow chooses to bottle up the fungus-like "monsters" that make her act out and say things that she doesn't mean. When she finds an unlikely friend in the forest, though, a little runaway dryad named Pilu, Willow learns how to better accept and deal with the "little monsters."

I loved the sweet illustrations and how this story of loss unfolded. I did struggle in the beginning of this book to follow the use of small monsters to illustrate Willow's feelings.

It's so cute!!!
(if you don't want it to get spoiled don't read it)

So Willow got an argument with hes sister and he ran into the forest with he's doggo they found someone who ran away too so he led a hand and adventure to her home but all of a sudden......

Well you better read the book! Than read the comments!!!

Pilu of the Woods is a story about dealing with grief and negative emotions. I think it does a really good job of visualizing how these emotions might feel to a child and discussing the best ways to handle them in a positive manner. While the artwork is mainly whimsical and lush for the majority of the story, the artist's depiction of negative emotions as little blob-like, but still cute monsters that can grow and grow help to create both a sense of unease and familiarity. A definite must-read for those who love graphic novels with a little bit of magic.

A really well-handled tale of learning to negotiate difficult emotions. Two peers who stumble upon each other--one human and one fey--gain insight from and through each other. Expressive without being didactic, authentic without condescending. Excellent artwork.

Oh oh oh !!! This comic is so heartfelt and so beautiful and so important ! Willow loves nature for its beauty, serenity, and intricacies, so unlike her feelings and school and home. This is the story of Willow learning to understand the little monsters in her- feelings, in this case, grief- and how to treat herself and others... A good, extremely pretty, kids comic for learning about emotional literacy, compassion, and self expression.