Our Fort

Praise

“Illustrations reminiscent of Japanese woodcuts tell the story of three friends on their way to the fort they’ve built in the woods when a gale lifts them off their feet.” —Jennifer Krauss, The New York Times “Best Children’s Books of the Year”

“The exquisite illustrations, reminiscent of Japanese woodcuts in their composition and line, tell the story of three friends who revisit a fort they have built in the woods on the far side of a meadow. . . . This is some spectacular bookmaking. . . . Everything about the drawings propels us forward into the book. . . It’s a simple story. Yet I can imagine Our Fort having a profound impact on a child — a child who might someday go into the woods with friends and spend weeks of a happy summer building a fort and establishing order, all the while thrilling to the prospect of sudden storms, wild winds and evil snakey forests.” —Sophie Blackall, New York Times Book Review

“Dorléans demonstrates a keen eye and ear for the chatter and preoccupations of children left to their own devices, and her story shows respect for their independence, creativity, and resilience. This celebration of a day spent outdoors may inspire young readers to embark on their own explorations, and it serves to remind adults why unstructured time is so valuable.” —The Horn Book, starred review

“Dorléans’s beautifully wielded artwork possesses a boundless energy. The delicate lines; the eye-catching details; the tight focus on the kids when the storm arrives; the quality of light before and after the storm: It all adds up to a visually rich story of the gifts (and scares and thrills) that the capricious outdoor world brings to those who make time for it. It’s a thrilling adventure, this one.” —Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

“Dorléans (The Night Walk) celebrates the magic of visiting a secret fort—an event that has less to do with the physical fort itself and more with the adventure of having one. . . . The long path pictured out the front door of a country house invites the children—and readers—deep into green hills: broad, sweeping oceans of grass and sky are washed with blues and greens; delicate tree leaves are worked in tiny, intricate black lines. . . . [a] tempestuous meditation on childhood freedom.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review