Early Reader Review: The Faraway Forest: Hester’s Big Dream by Debbie Fong

Source: From Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

The Faraway Forest: Hester’s Big Dream by Debbie Fong 

Series: The Faraway Forest
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: TODAY! September 15, 2026

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Welcome to The Faraway Forest, a graphic novel series for early readers about a magical woodland village that’s home to an assortment of adorable animal characters. Perfect for kids who love Animal Crossing!

Hester has just moved to the Faraway Forest. As a night owl, she loves to rise just as the sun sets, and she keeps herself busy all night with her hobbies: dancing, cooking, writing, and costume making. But Hester wonders if there are new friends to be made when the sun is out. Can she stay awake long enough to find out? Or will she discover there is more to the mysterious forest night than she imagines? Either way, Hester is definitely going to have an adventure!

For readers who love The Faraway Forest: Wally’s Route or anyone new to this lively illustrated series, good feelings and great fun await in this delightful story.

Review: 

Such a cozy and sweet graphic novel. We follow Hester, the owl, as she looks for friends. She has recently moved to Faraway Forest and since she is a night owl, she often only sees people when she is waking up and they are headed in for the night. 

The book has beautifully illustrated pages which feel whimsical and relaxing. The animal characters are also adorable. While it is in a series, this book can be read as a standalone and the graphic novel format give it extra appeal to reluctant readers. 

I liked the themes of friendship and trying new things in order to find friends. Hester goes through a few plans before finding her people and I liked that it showcased things not really working out on the first try but that she kept giving it a go. I also really liked all the extras that this book included. There were items in the beginning for each chapter so you could do a search and find along the way. Then at  the end there is a How to Draw Hester tutorial and a spot-the-differences page. 

I love graphic novels like this, it was pretty to look at, easy to read, and the story was cute and had good themes for younger readers.