Joon is a keeper in the Timeless Forest…

Joon is a keeper in the Timeless Forest, tending to all the trees and plants.
When a fire threatens everything that she knows, she must make a daring escape to ensure her beloved redwood tree lives on.

A picture book for 4-8 year olds.

Available in hardcover and softcover.

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Purchase Joon:

• Etsy (Signed; Aus and International)
• Livre Eclectica Books (Aus and International)
• Readings
• Amazon.com
• Amazon.com.au (coming soon)
• Amazon.co.uk
• Booktopia
• Fishpond (NZ)
• Open Trolley (Singpore)
• Barnes and Noble (USA)
• Three Trees Books (USA)
• One More Page (USA)
• Walmart (USA)
• Mystery Loves Company (USA)
• Open Trolley (Singapore)
• Bokus (Sweden)
• Saxo (Denmark)
• Kyngos (Italy)
• Hugendubel (Germany)

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Reviews for Joon

“I love the pictures and the colours. I was pretending I was Joon in the Forest. We need to keep trees safe, and look after each other.” Penny, 8 years old.

“A beautifully illustrated tale of the cycle of life and defending the world you love.” ~ Trent Jamieson, author of The Giant and The Sea  and Mr Impoppable.

“Joon, Big Red and the Unicorn written by Marianne de Pierres, with whimsical watercolor illustrations by Sunshine, is a children’s picture book that seamlessly blends themes of friendship, courage, and renewal. Set in the  Timeless Forest, the story follows Joon, a dedicated Keeper of the Forest, and her friend Big Red, the last Redwood tree of its kind. The Timeless Forest is an enchanted place where unicorns ‘swim across Glow Lake when the moon is full, to chew the fruit from the lolly bushes and the flowers from the tangle vines’ and Joon’s job is to water the stream lilies and midgenberries and collect fallen seeds from all the trees.

Filled with richly evocative language featuring a range of literary devices, this story is full of powerful symbolism, with Big Red representing the ancient wisdom of the natural world, the shiny seed left behind serving as a poignant symbol of hope and rebirth, and the character of Joon herself representative of the future generations the author has dedicated this book to: ‘my children’s children’. The personification of Big Red as a nurturing and protective figure adds emotional resonance to the story, making it a tender and meaningful introduction to loss for young readers. This is a book that will spark conversations about friendship, care for nature, climate change, sacrifice, loss and hope.

In this picture book offering, Marianne de Pierres, an accomplished writer for both adults and children, has woven words into a tale that is both accessible and profound, making it a wonderful choice for readers aged 4 to 8.

Sunshine’s vibrant watercolors bring the magic of the Timeless Forest to life, imbuing the pages with bright charm and a sense of wonder. Her artistic style perfectly complements the story’s whimsical elements and serves as a lighter contrast to the story’s emotional depth.

Visually captivating, rich in language and offering layers of meaning, Joon, Big Red and the Unicorn is an excellent pick for parents, carers and early years educators looking to inspire environmental awareness and a love of story in young readers. Its message of holding on to hope after loss will linger long after the final page. Highly recommended!” ~ Dannika Paterson, author of Heavy and Jacaranda Magic.

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Publisher Information

• ISBN: 9781763837997; ISBN-10: 1763837998
• Published: 26th May 2025
• Format: Hardcover
• Number of Pages: 44

• ISBN: 9781763837980; ISBN-10: 176383798X
• Published: 26th May 2025
• Format: Softcover
• Number of Pages: 44

Reviewed by Mandy Wrangles

Tanyana is special. Her career as an architect – a pionner – makes her one of the most highly regarded people in society.  By manipulating pions, the particles that hold all matter together through a blend of ritual and innate talent, Tanyana and her team are working on a giant construction; a prestigious statue named Grandeur in the city of Movac-Under-Keeper. And then something goes wrong. Tanyana is left injured, humiliated and without the ability to see or manipulate pions. She is cast into a world quite the opposite to what she knows – that of a lowly Debris collector.

Tanyana is denied justice at every turn. No one wants to know or listen to her; no one wants to be the one to help her find who – or what – caused her fall from grace. Her critical circle, the nine skilled binders who worked below and in harmony with Tanyana have abandoned her, and sinister undercurrents sweep and still her every movement.  Money ebbs from her bank account, the mysterious collection suit (and its creator) she finds is now part of her physical being is without explanation or an instruction booklet. Blank-faced ‘Puppet Men’ are watching, but no one can tell her why, or who they are. Not only is she is shunned by the society she once knew, she’s not exactly accepted with open arms by the debris crew she’s allocated to. Tanyana is alone, lost and powerless.

Debris collectors are the lowest of the low in the country of Varsnia, but without them, debris – the waste product left behind by pions – threatens to cause some serious damage. It’s when Tanyana finds her feet as a collector that this story really amped up for me. The relationships between the collection team are cautious and real, they trust each other but are innately suspicious of Tanyana – she represents everything they’re not. Each team member is drawn extremely well, and it’s easy to care about them very quickly, particularly the mystifying and childish Lad. The relationship Lad has with his brother Kichlan is an especially beautiful and intriguing bond; one that I’m looking forward to learning more about.

Debris is an exceptional novel. I have to admit, it’s taken me a long time since I finished reading to write this review. There are so many layers (yep,
just like an onion only tastier) I wasn’t sure where to begin. The physical aspect of Tanyana’s fall is the tip of the iceberg; Anderton’s observations of society and class system – and then the layers within that system – are written in a way that stays with you long after the story is finished. This is a story that sits somewhere in between fantasy and science fiction with a good dose of steampunk thrown in, but the themes covered and revelations about humanity are decidedly real. I’m a huge fan of a well-built world, and Debris ticks every box. The reader is treated intelligently, there are no over explanations to the workings of this world, just enough to keep you questioning and looking for the drip-fed answers while the action moves at a fast pace around you.

Debris is the first novel from Australian Jo Anderton, but not her first published work; she has a serious sackful of short fiction credits to her name. I for one will be sourcing those short stories to tide me over until the next instalment in The Veiled Worlds (Suited), is available later this year. I can’t wait to see what else Anderton’s  remarkable imagination has dreamed up.

 

Debris by Jo Anderton

Published by Angry Robot

Paperback – 408 pages

ISBN – 978-0-85766-153-1