Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life in this clever adaptation of the song The Green Grass Grew All Around. The jungle comes alive as children learn about a wide variety of the animals (jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats) and plants (kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads) living in the lush Amazon rainforest. Search each page to find rainforest bugs and butterflies hiding in the illustrations.
Large, brilliantly colored paintings offer close-up views of plants and animals in the rain forest, and the main text revises the lyrics of the traditional song, "The Green Grass Grew All Around," adapting the words to feature a rain-forest setting. The use of generic names for the animals makes singing easier, with phrases such as "And by the frog / there sat a bird . . . / the funniest bird / that you ever did see. / The bird by the frog, / and the frog in the plant, / and the plant by the sloth . . ." Meanwhile, accompanying sidebars extend the lyrics with information and better identify some of the animals: the bird is a toucan, the frog is a poison dart frog, and the ant is a leaf-cutter ant. The appended activities section offers matching games and a recipe for cookies using ingredients that originate in the rain forest. Teachers looking for a rain-forest book that invites participation will want to sing this one aloud, as they share the striking illustrations with their classes. Phelan, Carolyn --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
"Brilliant. That's what this science book for young children is ... Excellent." --The Virginian-Pilot<br /><br />"Filled with beautiful illustrations and lyrical text, The Rainforest Grew All Around is an excellent resource to introduce children to the wonders of rainforests, an important step in teaching children to be good stewards of Planet Earth." --Rainforest Alliance<br /><br />"Teachers looking for a rainforest book that invites participation will want to sing this one aloud, as they share the striking illustrations with their classes." --Booklist
"Brilliant. That's what this science book for young children is ... Excellent." --The Virginian-Pilot
"Filled with beautiful illustrations and lyrical text, The Rainforest Grew All Around is an excellent resource to introduce children to the wonders of rainforests, an important step in teaching children to be good stewards of Planet Earth." --Rainforest Alliance
Did you find this review helpful?