Review by Booklist Review
Using Simon's signature square format, large-print text, and excellent color photographs, this volume presents tropical rain forests. Clear and beautifully reproduced, the photos are the book's most striking feature. The text provides a sound, basic introduction to tropical rain forests, their climate, their layered structure, and their vital importance to the world's environment while stopping to look more closely at a few plants and many animals that live in there, such as army ants, piranhas, anacondas, frogs, parrots, bats, and sloths. Although it would sometimes be helpful to have captions that would identify the animals and plants pictured or give a better sense of their size, the book's clean design is attractive, and the photos are often eye-catching. A glossary is appended. From a fine science writer, here's an informative and visually rich introduction.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-Simon's short overview has a familiar format: large pages of oversize text facing sharp color photos of trees, animals, and plants provide an inviting overview of the biome that is populated by the largest variety of plant and animal species on the planet, with many of them yet to be discovered. Photo sources are identified, but there are no captions. Simon's careful descriptions hold a great deal of appeal for young people. He describes each of the rainforest's layers, along with some unusual plants, animals, and insects (e.g., bromeliads, sloths, pangolins, army ants) and explains that many medicines, oils, spices, fruits, and nuts are products of rainforest trees and plants. He also notes that areas of rainforest are being lost as they are cleared for farming or mining. This book is more focused and offers better descriptions than Darlene R. Stille's Tropical Rain Forests (Children's Press, 2000). Nancy Smiler Levinson's Rain Forests (Holiday House, 2008) and Gail Gibbons's Nature's Green Umbrella (HarperCollins, 1994) are suitable for younger children, and Philip Johansson's The Tropical Rain Forest: A Web of Life (Enslow, 2004) is the choice for reports.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH (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 engaging introduction to tropical rainforests features handsome photos and Simon's always readable text. Each double-page spread focuses on a particular subtopic and is accompanied by from one to four well-chosen photos. The lack of photo captions is confusing in a few instances where several subjects are discussed on the same page. Websites. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Veteran science writer Simon describes the climate, lush plant life and some of the millions of animals inhabiting tropical rainforests in Central and South America, central Africa and Southeast Asia. Illustrated with stock photographs beautifully reproduced on glossy paper, this Smithsonian title has great eye appeal. Each double-page spread includes a full-page illustration; expanses of green foliage, spider monkey, anaconda, dart poison frogs, vampire bat and giant centipede are some examples. Additional small photos appear on most opposing pages along with a clear, logically organized text that includes an explanation of forest layers and mention of the Amazon River. The final pages less smoothly summarize the importance of rainforests to us all in terms of their products and their contribution to the environment's health as well as their endangered status. Sadly, the pictures aren't labeled. For some, there's information in the text; to be certain, the curious reader must look for bold-faced numbers in the index and cannot always find where the picture was taken. This is a serious lack in an informational book. (Nonfiction. 5-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
