Lisa Cosentino’s Page on the
Rain Forest e Rain F orest
The topic I chose was the
rain forest because I feel that is this is a topic that is very interesting
and can be a lot of fun at the same time. This could be used in a
science course to help explain the meaning behind the rain forest and help
younger kids get into a lesson such as this one and the books help make
it exciting and amusing.
Chapter Books
Survival of the Fittest:
By Edward Myers
It is a great adventure book it is about three children
who survive a plane crash in a rain forest and has lots to say about family
links, emotional abandonment and the need to love and be loved. The natural
situations and the way the characters are described in the book seem so real
that it is a book that you cannot put down once you start.
Myers, Edward.
Survival of the Fittest.
New Jersey: Montemayor Press, 2000.
Good Morning,
Gorillas: By Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrated
by Sal Murdocca
The book is about Jack and Annie who have a question
“Gentle giants or giant monsters???” Just then the magic tree house sweeps
them to the mountains of Africa. On their trip the children will encounter
a group of scary but incredible mountain gorillas. Annie wants to play
with them right away and Jack is hesitating at first and is not sure how
to play so will the gorillas be able to teach him some special magic??? (ages:
8-12)
Osborne, Mary Pope. Good Morning, Gorillas
New York: Random House, 2002.
Afternoon on
the Amazon: By Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrated By Sal Murdocca
It is an adventure book when Jack,
his sister Annie and Peanut the mouse are taken for a trip in the Magic Tree
house to the Amazon. They encounter many animals along the journey
but will the two of them find their way back to the tree house or will they
be lost forever in the rain forest. (ages: 6-9)
Osborne, Mary Pope. Afternoon on the Amazon.
New York:
Random House, 2002.
One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest:
Written By Jean Craighead George
Illustrated by Gary Allen
This book describes the ecology of a tropical rain forest
and efforts to conserve it. Tepui, a Venezuelan Indian boy, assists a lepidopterist
in his search for an as "yet unnamed butterfly species for a wealthy man
who will buy the Tropical Rain Forest of the Macaw and preserve it if he
can name the butterfly after his daughter. (ages 7-10).
George, Craighead, Jean. One
Day in the Tropical Rain Forest
HaperCollins, 1995.
The Rain Forest Mystery, Vol. 4: O'Ann Steere, D'Ann Steere
Will the Ringers go on
a risky trek through the rain forest of Brazil? Or will they rely on their
friend to get help? In this action-packed adventure, the choice is up to
you! This series helps kids learn to make wise choices as they explore the
many plot possibilities in each book. (age: 8-12)
Steere, D'Ann, Steere
Ann. The Rain Forest Mystery.
Tyndale House, 1991.
Picture
Books
At home in the Rain Forest: By Diane Willow
Illustrated
By Laura Jacques
From the tops of the tropical trees to
the forest floor, readers can observe the inter-relationships of plants and
animals which thrive at each level of the rain forest. The topic of rain
forest destruction is presented in a way which stresses the importance of
preserving the rain forests and their wealth of fascinating creatures while
avoiding the heavy-handed treatment of some books on this subject. (ages:
5-8)
Willow, Diane. At home in the Rain forest
Massachutes: Charlesbridge, 1991.
Canopy Crossing: A story
of an Atlantic Rain forest
Written By Ann Whitehead Nagda
Illustrated By Thomas Buchs
The book describes some of the plants and other animals
that a black faced tamarin encounters in the Atlantic rain forest which is
in Brazil. The tamarin is in search for a mate so then the tamarine
is able to start a family of his own. (ages 5-8)
Nagda Whitehead, Ann. Canopy Crossing A story of an Atlantic
Rain forest.
Connecticut: Trudy Corporation, 1997.
The Red-Eyed Tree Frog: Written
By Joy Cowley
Illustrated By Nic Bishop
It is a stort about a frog that is trying to find food in the rain forest
without being caught by other animals. It is a great book with incredible
pictures of the forest instead and younget children witll love reading about
a red-eyed frog and what it has to do to find dinner within the many dangers
that lie ahead of him. (ages: 5-12)
Cowley, Joy. The Red-Eyed Tree Frog.
Scholastic, 1999.
"Slowly,
Slowly, Slowly," Said the Sloth" : Written By Eric Carle
Relaxing sweet book of the sloths life
and how he takes it very slowly. In dazzling tissue paper scenes of
a busy Amazon rainforest, we meet the quiet sloth, who doesn't worry at all
about rushing through his day. Yonger children will love listening
to this book be read to them. (age: preschool and up).
Carle
Eric, "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, Said the Sloth:"
Penguin
Putnam books for young readers, 2002.
If I Ran the Rainforest:
Written By Bonnie Worth
Illustrated By: Aristides
The Cat in the Hat takes Sally and Dick for an "umbrella-vator" ride through
the understory, canopy, and emergent layers of a tropical rain forest, encountering
a host of plants, animals, and native peoples along the way. (age: 4-8)
Worth, Bonnie. If
I Ran the RainForest
Random House Books, 2003
LC and the Critter Kids:
Jaguar Paw, Vol. 4 Written By Erica Farber
Follow LC and the Critter Kids through ancient Maya ruins and the South American
rainforest to an archaeological dig where a priceless jade statue has just
been stolen. Can the kids foil the smuggling ring and save the statue...or
will Jaguar Paw disappear forever? (age: 5-8)
Farber, Erica. LC
and the Critter Kids
Golden Books, 1995
Informational Books
Journey into the Rain
Forest: Written By Tim Knight
Photographs By: Juan Pablo Moreiras
In this extraordinary book,
Knight invites young readers to explore both the beauty and the importance
of the rainforest. Because the book is a journey, it begins with pages on
preparation—clothes, equipment, safety, and ecological considerations. Next,
a beautiful, double-page picture-map illustrates the trip the reader will
take through a mangrove swamp, along rice fields and logged forests, past
a waterfall, and finally to a mountain summit. With an introduction such
as this, readers will be primed for the adventure that awaits them. It has
a glossary, index section so children are able to look up parts they are
not sure about. It is a great book to learn information and feel as
though you are there. (ages: 9-12)
Knight Tim, Journey into the Rain forest.
New York: Oxford University
Press, 2001
Into the Rain Forest: Written By Eric Rob
Mix-and-match flap books let young explorers match images and text for truly
interactive study of our ecosystems. It is a great learning tool that
allows the students to interact with the book and still learn a lot about
the different parts that makes up a rain forest.
Robson, Eric. Into the
Rain Forest.
Time-Life Custom, 1996.
The Rain Forest: Written
By Billy Goodman
This book
in the Planet Earth series, begins with a chapter describingthe physical
structure of a rain forest and is followed by chapters describing the animals
of the rain forest, the people of the rain forest, and concludeswith a chapter
on rain forest environmental concerns. (ages 8-12) reference book.
Goodman, Billy. The Rain
Forest.
Little Brown, 1992.
Folk Tale
The Great Kapok Tree:
Written By: Lynne Cherry
A tale of the Amazon Rain Forest.
A man walks into a lush rain forest
and starts chopping down a huge kapok tree. Lulled by the heat, he sits down
and soon falls asleep. The forest dwellers approach, each pleading in his
ear a reason to keep the tree standing. Suddenly, the man wakes up, and for
the first time notices the beauty all around him. Will he still chop down
the tree? The beauty of Cherry's art helps to convey an important message
in this environmental tale. (ages:5-8).
Cherry, Lynne. The
Great Kapok Tree.
Harcourt, 1990.
Bitter Bananas: Writen By Isaac Olaleye
Illustratrated By Ed Young
Young Yusuf is a resourceful boy who is quite fond of the
sweet palm sap he harvests near his home in the African rain forest. He sells
at market what he doesn't consume, so is naturally upset to discover a family
of baboonshelping themselves to his potential profits. Young has captured
the folktale feeling of Olaleye's enchanting tale of one boy's determination
to see a problem through to the "bitter end." (ages: 3-8).
Olaleye, Isaac. Bitter Bananas
Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers,
1996.
Life in the Rain Forest: Written
By Lucy Baker
This title in the
Life In series, describes rainforests and their geographical distribution,
plant 'facts,' animal food resources, predators, traditional human occupants,
modern products extracted from rainforests, how to save the rainforests,
and shares a folktale from rainforest people. (ages: 5-8).
Baker,
Lucy. Life in the Rain Forest
Scholastic,
1993.
Biography
Save My Rain Forest: Written By Monica Zak
Illustrated By Bengt-Arne Runnerstrom
Based on a true story, this picture book tells of 8-year-old
Omar Castillo in Mexico City, who dreams of saving the endangered Lacandon
rain forestin southern Mexico. He drags his father with him and they
camp out at the prseident's house until they are able to meet with the president.
Omar Castillo fulfills his dream of visiting the endangered rain forest
of southern Mexico and wins an audience with the president of Mexico to express
his concern.
Zak, Monica. Save My Rain Forest.
Volanco Press, 1996.
Interactive Books children will have fun with.
Rain Forest Animals Clue Game: By Joseph
Cornell
Children and adults alike will enjoy discovering the ten mystery rainforest
animals in this set of six indoor and outdoor games. Fun and educational.
Cornell, Joseph. Rain Forest Animal Clue Game
Dawn Publications,
1996.
Crafts for Kids Who Are Wild
About Rainforests: Written By Kathy Ross
Introduces the world of rainforest
plants and animals through twenty simple craft projects. Students will
have fun working on them and being able to be creative in their own ways.
Ross, Cathy. Crafts for Kids Who Are Wild About Rain Forests
Ipicture Books, 2002.
Web
Site Links that kids can learn about the Rain forest and have fun while doing
so:
Rain Forest Action:
World Rain Forest:
Rain Forest Workshop:
Rain Forest Facts
