Review by Booklist Review
From the writer and illustrator of Death Valley: A Day in the Desert (2001) and North Pole, South Pole (2002), this book introduces rain forests through colorful pictures and a text accessible to most second-grade readers. A map shows the locations of rain forests around the world, and its key identifies each locale and classifies it as tropical or temperate. Most of the book introduces particular tropical rain forests. Discussions about the distinctive features of rain forests are illustrated by detailed acrylic paintings showing the animals and plants of areas such as the Congo basin, Borneo, and Costa Rica. Within the double-page pictures, labels identify the many plant and animal species shown. Concluding with facing pages of facts that make it easy to contrast tropical and temperate rain forests, this book provides a good, basic introduction to the subject for young readers.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Levinson offers a straightforward, simple introduction to rain forests and some of the flora and fauna found there. Most of the book deals with tropical forests and the characteristics of each of their four layers. Hearn clearly identifies the locales of her illustrations and labels the plants and animals depicted. A few pages highlight the temperate rain forest of North America. The book concludes with brief mention of the negative impacts on these woodlands. It's a solid choice for libraries in need of an additional resource about a subject covered in many recent titles, including Linda Tagliaferro's Explore the Tropical Rain Forest (Capstone, 2007), but readers who want details about particular plants, animals, or specific forests will need to consult other sources.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This book explores the plant and animal life in the world's rainforests, breaking them down into specific forest layers. The easy-reader text uses vocabulary that is basic enough for beginning readers while also incorporating content-area words (understory, epiphytes). Acrylics-painted illustrations show dozens of plants and animals. Two pages comparing and contrasting tropic and temperate rainforests are appended. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Aimed at fledgling readers, this introduction to rain forests worldwide pairs labeled gatherings of exotic, accurately depicted flora and fauna with concise descriptions of the ecosystems' distinctive characteristics. The level of detail is carefully gauged to nourish a budding interest in the subject without overstuffing it with facts. Hearn's bright paintings are full but not crowded, while Levinson doesn't shy away from terms like "epiphyte," but also keeps her text free of lists or barrages of statistics. Closing with a note on the destruction of rain forests, along with a spread of contrasting facts to reinforce the differences between rain forests tropical and temperate, this quick tour will serve equally well to inform and to entertain. (map) (Easy reader/nonfiction. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
