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"Southcrop Forest" is an animal fantasy. In some ways it’s a typical fantasy quest with a young protagonist who faces terrible dangers, daunting tasks, incredible odds and his own fears.
But what a bizarre protagonist. His name is Fur and he’s a colony of caterpillars--not just one caterpillar, but a whole bunch of them. He’s a single creature, with one voice and one mind, made from a collective of individuals.
And his companion in this story is a young oak tree named Auja. As the story goes, trees have ruled over our planet for eons. But their time is ending as humans take control.
Auja lives in Southcrop Forest and Southcrop is in trouble. Tree civilization is built upon an ancient communication network--like a world wide web for trees. The hubs of this web are the trees’ special farms. And the last ones in Southcrop are about to be destroyed by the only true villains in this story--humans.
To make matters worse, the Southcrop farms hold a secret treasure, only just discovered--a treasure so great it could change the world for trees everywhere. Southcrop Forest is a fragment, cut off from the rest of the world. Since trees can’t walk (they’re trees, not Ents) it’s up to Fur to find this treasure and carry it beyond the borders of Southcrop.
"Southcrop Forest" may sound like a children’s book. But don’t be fooled by its length (170 pages) and plot line. The story is deep and layered, with some excellent twists and surprises.
"Southcrop Forest" is steeped in natural history and there are science allusions galore. It would be perfect for young or youthful minded nature lovers and environmentalists, as well as junior and high school science and biology students. Trees, insects, birds, mammals, mushrooms and flowers parade across its pages. Threats from introduced species, urban sprawl, deforestation, and climate change are central to the plot.
Think of "Southcrop Forest" as a book akin to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but for nature fanatics--one in which all the monsters, creatures and places are real. Think of "Southcrop forest" as an elaborate 'what if' story. What if trees were sentient? What if their civilization was hundreds of millions of years old? What if they watched us climb down from their branches, only to spoil the earth? How would they feel about us?
Maybe Southcrop Forest is not a fantasy at all, but an alternate reality. I hope you enjoy it. Let little Fur and the trees of Southcrop carry you away.
Lorne
