Forest Friends

Reginald is kind-hearted rat and loves everyone – except ... rats! Believing rats are unlikable, he doesn't realize that he is a rat himself until the beautiful newcomer to the area, Raquel, stops his heart when she enters the annual Autumn "Geese Flying South" party – and into Reginald's life. She tells him the truth about himself, and he learns that all creatures – including rats! – are lovable.

Reginald the Rat insists he doesn't like Christmas. He has gotten himself in a tizzy trying to figure out what sort of gift to give to the lovely Miss Raquel, a charming and kind rat, adored by everyone. Reginald, as usual, pesters everyone with his worries and demands. Fortunately, he does learn in the end the greatest and the truest lesson of all about Christmas, as the ever-patient, ever-wise, ever-beautiful Miss Raquel teaches him that Christmas is about love, not things.

While spending a vacation with her grandparents, Mayu, a Japanese first-grader, finds a mysterious mailbox in the forest near their house. She writes a letter and leaves it in the box. The next day she is surprised to find a letter addressed to her. She responds and a friendship develops between the two letter writers. But who could this mysterious friend be? Mayu discovers who he is, and discovers the joys of writing and receiving letters. And when the time comes to go back home, she and her forest friend find an unexpected way to exchange letters and to continue their friendship.