Product Description

"A scientifically accurate book which depicts the complex world of rain forests in easily understood text and sumptuous illustrations. The geography, climate and ecology of the rain forest are explained and the illustrations teem with the flora and fauna."--Children's Literature. ???

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #497649 in Books
• Published on: 1997-04-24
• Released on: 1997-04-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780688154110
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-A colorful, informative look at tropical rain forests. Gibbons has drawn and labeled about 50 animals and numerous plants and trees on double-spread illustrations. Complementary text appears in the margins. Each spread is bordered by vines and flowers reminiscent of medieval manuscripts. The striking watercolors evoke the mood of the forests, while the text contains simple definitions for italicized scientific terms. Readers are drawn into the ecology of rain forests before mention is made of the danger of global warming and the extinction of flora and fauna due to humanity's destructive invasion. Methods for protecting the areas, such as creating selective cutting or extractive reserves, are noted. Lyn Stone's Rain Forests (Rourke, 1989) and Jenny Wood's Rain Forests (Gareth Stevens, 1991), written for slightly older children, have striking full-color photos and more text, but Gibbons's book is more inviting.
Kathleen McCabe, East Meadow Public Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. We're off to the rain forest in Gibbons' newest addition to her nonfiction library. With the simple style and bold format that characterize her books, Gibbons not only explains the complex ecosystem of tropical rain forests and their importance to the global ecology, but also explores related issues concerning the preservation and protection of the forests as natural resources. Bright, colorful watercolor panels with labeled elements are laid out with the text, and each layout is framed by the leafy green vine of a rain forest flower. Gibbons does not designate the specific rain forests in the illustrations (a problem because some of the exotic animals pictured are native only to tropical rain forests on certain continents), but her focus seems generally to be on Latin American regions, such as the Amazon and the Caribbean rain forests where she did her research for this book. Packed with visual information that complements the easy and informative text, this is a good, basic introduction to a complex and popular subject for the youngest researchers. Annie Ayres

Review
"Informative...inviting." -- -- School Library Journal

Customer Reviews

An excellent, accurate book
This book can be used as an excellent teaching tool. It provides a great introduction to the rainforests, and is full of facts about animals, medicines, and plants that are found in the rainforests.

Gail should hire an illustrator or a photographer !
Ms. Gibbons is a WONDERFUL writer. Her drawings, however, are definitely not in the category of her writing. They detract from her books. I am a children's librarian and I have seen time after time that kids will avoid her books because the pictures are so unappealing. This is a shame since the text is usually outstanding. Ms. Gibbons should think about getting an illustrator or a photographer to supply an equivalent to her text. If she were to do this, her books would reach a much greater audience.

Nature's Green Umbrella review
GREAT BOOK! I'm a teacher and will use this as a learning tool about rainforests. The pictures alone teach a lot, and I love that it explains every level of the rainforest. Gail Gibbons does it once again!