#501 of 1001 · December 14, 2021

Oh my goodness. This post marks my five-hundredth book review. Can it really be that many? Thank you to everyone out there who has made this daily project such a rewarding endeavor! In celebration, I’m revisiting one of my childhood favorites: Marilee Heyer’s gripping, unforgettable The Forbidden Door. On a distant star in the valley of the Bao-Bickle tree, deep in a network of caves live Reena and her parents, the last surviving members of a subterranean community. Reena dreams of seeing the outside world, but her parents insist that to leave the caves is forbidden. One day, concealed behind an ancient tapestry, the young girl discovers a door that leads out into the bright sunlight of the valley. Immediately, she runs afoul of the Okira, a monstrous creature who long ago preyed upon many of Reena’s ancestors and drove the rest into hiding. With the help of the birdlike valley denizens, led by the wise elder Nimar, Reena must outwit the Okira and free her parents from their subjugation underground. The powerful spell of Heyer’s original high fantasy adventure plot is enhanced by her lush, detailed, dazzlingly cinematic art. Come and make your way through this forbidden door…if you dare. #door #star #valley #cave #underground #light #monster #adventure #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks