Review by Booklist Review
Teachers of young children will welcome this sixth volume of the About Habitats series. Using basic language, Cathryn Sill writes one sentence to describe each of John Sill's beautifully detailed color illustrations. The book's double-page format is perfect for group or one-on-one viewing; on the left page is the centered large text with a smaller plate description on the inside bottom corner, and on the right is the full-page color painting. The three elements work together to help children understand the different types of forests, the trees common to each, and even the birds and animals that live in the respective areas. Detail in the paintings can even be used to allow children to find and identify the wildlife. For adults, the afterword shows a smaller version of each color plate with a much more detailed description. The addition of pronunciations to the glossary would have been nice; still, this is an effective, gentle, and realistic introduction.--Petty, J. B. Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-It can be easy to forget that sometimes readers just need a simple concept, presented without bells and whistles: this book does just that. Each two-page spread features a single sentence describing types of forests, their characteristics, and why they are important, while the facing page contains a lush and verdant full-page watercolor painting of the scene, complete with animals and other plant life. Captions identify the specific plants and animals depicted (e.g., Question Mark Butterfly, Red-Spotted Salamander). Additional information about each spread can be found in the afterword. The glossary contains more technical terms about forests than appear in the text. While the definitions are simply written and comprehensible, no pronunciation guide is available, leaving young readers to guess how one would say "deciduous" or "epiphyte." This a relatively minor quibble, however, as the text itself is quite clear and written for beginning readers, although it could easily lend itself to classroom reading. Also included is a map of where different types of forests can be found throughout the world. This is another strong series book for the Sills and would be a fine addition to elementary school and public libraries.-Heather Webb, Worthington Libraries, OH (c) Copyright 2014. 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
One simple sentence faces a full-page, detailed painting of distinguishing features (plants, animals, products, etc.) of a type of forest, including boreal, temperate, and tropical. Each numbered plate corresponds to an afterword containing facts about the highlighted forest. Though slight in the main text, information expands with the reader's skill; unfortunately, labeling could be clearer. Websites. Bib., glos. (c) Copyright 2014. 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.
