THE FARAWAY FOREST: WALLY’S ROUTE
By: Debbie Fong
Illustrated by: Debbie Fong with colors by Kayla Catanzaro
Published: September 9, 2025
Publisher: Chronicle Kids
Fiction/Graphic Novel
Engage early readers with a graphic novel collection of four stories about Wally, the raccoon, and Bo, his loyal companion. In the Faraway Forest, there is a community of animals that are all friendly and help each other out…all but one grumpy resident. Wally, as the mail carrier, greets everyone with a smile and happily hands over their mail. But, when it is time to climb the hill to Mr. Sternbill’s house, Wally never knows what kind of mood he’ll find Mr. Sternbill in.
Wally visits everyone on his daily mail route with Bo traveling alongside him. It doesn’t matter whether it is storming outside or if someone has a heavy package that needs to be delivered, Wally makes sure the job is done well, and he is kind to everyone he sees.
Each chapter or story has items to look for on the pages that add a bit of an adventure to the reading experience. Since it is a graphic novel, it is set up like a comic book with minimal words and detailed illustrations that easily tell the story as much as the words do. This longer story offers a way for early readers to be encouraged to read more pages and expand their comprehension.
Throughout the stories, Wally offers bits of advice on being a good person, a hard worker, and how to treat others. These mottos have a bit of a rhyming feature and will be easy for kids to remember and adopt as their own mottos. These life lessons on kindness, patience, and hard work are great values for kids to learn through the guise of a cute raccoon. Wally reminds all of us to be a “First Class” person and to make everyone we meet a “Priority”.
The end of the book includes a peek inside the tree house that Wally and Bo live in, as well as drawing lessons for How to Draw Wally and Bo. The art of letter writing and getting mail doesn’t hold the same kind of excitement it did when I was a child. My mom was a mail carrier, and my dad worked at the post office later in his life, so the United States Postal Service has always been special to me and my family. Reading this book with your child, then writing a letter to someone, and visiting your local post office would make this a great learning experience for your child.
Debbie Fong is an author and artist. She has illustrated multiple children’s nonfiction books, and her debut middle-grade graphic novel, NEXT STOP, was published by Random House Graphic in 2024. She is also the artist behind POMMO Press, an online art shop selling prints, stationery, and other fun goods. Debbie lives in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, along with her spouse, cat, dog, and many plants. See more of her work on her website, HERE.
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Get this Letter Carrier Costume for your child’s pretend playtime.
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, Debbie Fong, Kayla Catanzaro, fiction, graphic novel