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Fantastic
Facts: Rainforests
Author: Jen Green
Publisher: Southwater
Product: Book (64 pages)
Ages: 8 to 12
Cost: $7.95 |
Rainforests are teeming with life. And they’re
so dense that it can take 10 minutes for rain falling on the canopy
(the dense, leafy layer at the top) to reach the ground! Rainforests,
one of the Fantastic Facts series, takes readers through this environment’s
different layers, cycles, and animals. Harpy eagles, spider monkeys,
kiwi, and mule deer are just some of the animals you’ll encounter
along with some definitely fantastic facts. Did you know that sloths
move so slowly that algae grow on their fur? Rainforests also support
different groups of people and this book introduces you to some of
them.
Projects help readers understand
some of the biology behind tropical and temperate rainforests. You
can grow your own tropical plant or spend time identifying trees in
your neighbourhood. Or just look around your house, chances are the
rainforest is in your midst, from wood to chewing gum to chocolate!
All this from an environment that covers only six percent of the Earth’s
surface. Unfortunately it’s also fast disappearing. Remember,
the more you know, the more you can help. |
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Magdalen
Hoyt
Age 10
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The book was very well-designed. It had a lot
of projects to do, and with the pictures, it was really easy to
understand. Also, the topic was fascinating. Just by looking at
the pages, it made you want to go to the rainforest yourself.
What I liked best about the book were the
activities. Learning how snakes eat was really blood-curdling. I
learned a lot. For example, anacondas are one of the largest snakes,
and most of the ground is dark and gloomy: only two percent of the
Sun’s rays hit the rainforest floor! I also learned that the
rainforest is home to more than 8,000 different species of plants.
That’s incredible—my garden only has 10. I can’t
think of anything I didn’t like about the book—it was
too good. I especially liked the pictures of the Asian elephant.
The two white-fronted lemurs were so cute and the flying lizard
was very unusual. The armoured armadillo was funny-looking and very
different. The photos can make you feel like you’re really
in the rainforest. My overall impression was that the book was terrific
and interesting. It has lovely pictures. I would definitely give
it a 10 out of 10. The one word I would use to describe the book
is: unreal!
(Originally published in the Jan/Feb
2002 issue of YES Mag.) |
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