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Reviewed by Amy Raines for Readers' Favorite
The Samurai’s Gift Among the Forest is the second installment in The Samurai’s Gift series by Kristi Shimada. It is the story of a young girl hiding in The Lost Forest because she is deeply saddened and traumatized. Yoshi, a young boy of the same age, finds Himari singing her heartbroken song and tries to figure out why she is so upset. Yoshi's and Himari’s guides try to assist Yoshi in his quest to help Himari heal from her pain. Yoshi takes her to the Fall Away Falls to help her begin the process of healing, but Himari isn’t ready to move forward yet. What happened to Himari to make her so sad? Can Yoshi and their guides help her the way they helped Yoshi? Will Himari ever find peace and happiness?
The Samurai’s Gift Among the Forest by Kristi Shimada is one of the most heartfelt, touching stories I have read in a long time. The story of Himari's trauma, the pain, and the presumed guilt she suffered had me in tears. The illustrations by Eko Setiawan are beautiful representations of this sad yet inspiring story. I recommend it to anyone with children; it will help kids learn to reach out for help and not force someone to heal when they aren’t ready. I love how this story teaches kids how important it is to show love, kindness, empathy, and understanding to those who are depressed.
