Jane Boulton includes an introduction, afterword, and postscript to give more of Opal's story, including what happened to her after publication. There are also websites about Opal which include archival photographs.

The journal itself, written in Opal's strange dialect that included numerous French words and phrases (and which give rise to speculation that Opal was descended from French aristocracy), is lovely, and warrants the poetic treatment. It's also not the work of a professional (most of it was done when Opal was six), and Boulton's editing makes the whole tighter and more cohesive. Opal's tendency to see soul and intelligence and feeling in everything, living and inanimate, brings her world to magical, shimmering life, and hearkens back to animist and pagan religions.

This is clearly not a book for every kid, or even for many. There's no plot, little action, and a confusing abundance of characters, both human and animal. But for children who love nature, and language, the way Opal did it could be entrancing, and any reader will be inspired to look at their own world through Opal's eyes. This gentle, visionary journal is perfect for sharing in small doses between adult and child, and would be a perfect companion on hikes, picnics, and camping trips.

From the Book:
Back of the house are some nice woodrats,
The most lovely of them all
is Thomas Chatterton Jupiter Zeus.
He has been waiting in my sunbonnet
long waits while I make prints.
He wants to go explores.
The dog, Brave Horatius, has longings in his eyes.
He wants to go.
In the pig pen I hear Peter Paul Rubens squealing.
We will all go explores.