From deep in the forest

In the world of picture books, anything is possible with "the power of imagination." That's what makes them so interesting and captivating. However, sometimes you encounter "true stories" that are so profound they stay with you long after you've read them, and this picture book surprised me with just such a feeling.

This is a true story that happened in Canada about 100 years ago. The protagonist is a boy named Antonio, almost 5 years old, who lives in the town of Gogama, surrounded by dense forests. His mother runs a three-story hotel by the lake. There are no other children nearby, so Antonio's friends are the adults who work at the hotel. In a small room deep inside the kitchen, in the corner of the hotel restaurant, is where Antonio sleeps. If the doors to the guest rooms on the second floor are open, he'll peek inside; and the rooms on the third floor, filled with bunk beds, are where hunters or loggers stay, always bustling with activity at night. Antonio loves this room the most.

He also enjoys venturing into the forest alone to look for animals. However, animals rarely show themselves during the day. Because of hunters and traps, the animals hide deeper in the forest.

That summer, Antonio noticed smoke rising from the forest. A terrible wildfire had broken out! The fire spread rapidly, and the only escape route was the lake. Everyone in town ran into the lake for refuge. But so did the animals. What unfolded before their eyes was an incredible sight...

In that moment, the scene in the picture book is breathtaking. Like Antonio, readers will surely never forget that moment – the moment when the boundary between humans and animals disappeared.