You’re Just Jealous

A Mystery in the Forest
Written by Susanna Isern & Illustrated by Daniel Montero Galán
Age Level: 4-8 Years
Published September 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books of 2020

We can all learn to forgive and forget.

How would you feel if someone stole from you? What if you learned that they only did it because they wanted to be like you, and they wanted to have what you have? Would you forgive them?

These complex questions about jealousy, compassion, and forgiveness are at the center of this delightful mini mystery for your mini me.

Deer is a talented chef whose cooking beckons forest friends to his table each afternoon. He gathers his ingredients from secret spots in the forest and works his magic using his secret recipe book. Rabbit is friendless and alone, and he thinks that if only he could cook like Deer, his life would be different. So one day, he pillages Deer’s secret spots and steals his beloved recipe book. Following this act of thievery and deceit, Deer finds it in his heart not only to forgive Rabbit, but to make him his sous-chef and bring him into the fold.

“Dear assistant chef, I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow at dawn. Make sure you’re ready to give it all you’ve got! -Deer.”

Jealousy is a ubiquitous, but often unaddressed, emotion in children. This book does such a beautiful job of showcasing jealousy and then demonstrating how it can be handled with grace and kindness.

It gets better! This book heralds from Spain so it’s also available in Spanish under the name Un Misterio en el Bosque; you can purchase it in Spanish on Amazon here, and on Bookshop.org here. And it’s printed on eco-friendly Stone Paper, which uses zero trees, water, or bleach.