The Rainforest Grew All Around

Gr 2-4 This lively introduction to plants and animals of the Amazon rainforest is organized around the towering kapok tree. Readers meet a jaguar, a green boa, leafcutter ants, a sloth, and other creatures that live in its branches. The cumulative verse draws them together while the "rainforest grew all around, all around; the rainforest grew all around." Text panels on the sides of the well-laid-out pages offer facts about the plants and animals depicted close up, such as, "Pineapples are bromeliads that grow in the ground." Although the color illustrations resemble those of Lynne Cherry's in "The Great Kapok Tree" (Harcourt, 1990), this book is less message heavy. Two pages of activities plus a recipe for rainforest cookies provide opportunities to extend learning, but there is no musical score. Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.