Illustrator Nívola Uyá on the book that made her fall in love
I’ve always loved being in nature. Whether a wild forest or the backyard, there’s always an opportunity to see something new or feel wonderfully small.
Summers ago, I tried to explain the idea of forest bathing to my kids, who love playing outside but aren’t into longer hikes. I was happy to find Marc Ayat and Nívola Uyá’s Bathing in the Forest, a picture book that explores the healing power of nature. In the story, a little girl is steeped deep in the sensory feast of a forest: peaceful birdsong, restorative green, and streaks of sunlight. The forest is shown to be a place where you can go to cope with life’s challenges and leave calm and rejuvenated.
The character in Bathing in the Forest embodies the character strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. I imagine Marc and Nívola are high in this strength as well: Marc is a certified Forest Bathing Guide, and Nívola is a nature-lover with a degree in Environmental Science. Nívola also created Silence, a wordless picture book inspiring fantasy, wonder and mysterious possibility, featured in the Spirituality book guide.
I reached out to Nívola to find out about her own favorite book on beauty. She wrote back to recommend Life, a picture book by Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel exploring the peaks and valleys of life with love and wisdom.
Nívola is a Spanish award-winning illustrator and visual artist. She loves nature as much as illustration and, whenever possible, combines both worlds.
By Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel
Published by Beach Lane Books
“Life begins small and grows.”
Nívola says: In thinking about wonder and beauty, I bring you a book that made me fall in love: Life by Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel.
This is a book about life and the natural cycle of existence. Cynthia Rylant and Brendan Wenzel explore both the beauty and tenacity of life with a story that is full of joy, struggle and kindness.
With the help of animals, the book explores many wonderful things about life, both in good times and times of struggle and shows that “in every corner of the world, there is something to love.”
Rylant’s message is that to live is to grow. Full of love and hope, the story invites you to observe and embrace all of life—from great natural phenomenon to the smallest of details in the field.
The story is so simple yet so uplifting, and will help anyone through a difficult day. It is also beautifully illustrated with pages full of exuberant paintings of stunning landscapes to sweet creatures.
Here is a double page that fascinates me, and transmits the strength of resilience and the sweetness of flow. And the message of the text is wonderful. “All these know something about life: that everything is changing.”
Life feeds our curiosity and evokes a feeling of connection and communion with existence. It’s an inspiring gift for readers of all ages.”
Thank you, Nívola.
Read more about her process of making Bathing in the Forest, from the inspiration behind the project to her thought process during illustration here.
Learn more about forest bathing:
Getting back to nature: how forest bathing can make us feel better
Forest Bathing: A Retreat to Nature Can Boost Immunity and Mood
Explore the book guides below for more curated children’s books related to Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, or related character strengths of transcendence, including spirituality, gratitude, humor, and hope.
