In the Rainforest

by Kate Duke, Kate Duke (Illustrator)

Overview

The rainforest is home to millions of plant and animal species. Some animals live high up in the trees, some crawl across the forest floor, and some tunnel underground, but they all depend on one another and the rain to survive. With colorful illustrations and fascinating diagrams from author-illustrator Kate Duke, In the Rainforest is a lively look at the most vibrant ecosystem on our planet.

This is a Stage 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780064451970
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/02/2014
Series:	Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Series: Level 2
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	208,204
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kate Duke was the author and illustrator of many award-winning picture books as well as Archaeologists Dig for Clues in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series.

Kate Duke was the author and illustrator of many award-winning picture books as well as Archaeologists Dig for Clues in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series.

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2014
Gr 1–3—Rainforests have more animal species than anywhere in the world; such facts are just the tip of the iceberg in this intriguing, early reader glimpse into one of the world's most unique ecosystems. In Magic School Bus fashion, the narrative takes readers along with a group of young students and their guide as they journey through a tropical rainforest. Key terms about the ecosystem and the animals that live within it are discussed. Small side captions are used to further points, in most cases visually comparing rainforest trees and species to those of temperate climates. Difficult words appear in bold type and are defined within the text; there is no glossary. Overall, readers will be delighted with Duke's attention to species, specifically ants, which play an essential role in the functioning of the rainforest ecosystem. Duke concisely discusses not only species and their habitats but also the sustainability of the rainforest and finishes by touching on the manmade dangers that are putting rainforests at risk. A list of botanical gardens, museums, and zoos in the United States with rainforest exhibits that are open to the public is included. There is also a how-to guide about making a rainforest terrarium. A welcome addition, particularly for those early grade assignments on biomes.—Keith Klang, Port Washington Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

The child-friendly illustrations-pen-and-ink drawings with watercolors, liquid acrylics, pencils, and pastels-make this an inviting title from cover to cover... This informative volume from the dependable Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out science series offers an uncommonly readable introduction to rain forests.

Booklist (starred review)

The well-informed narrative voice describes the physical divisions of the rainforest, such as the canopy and the understory, while the children’s tour guide (in conversational speech balloons) points out special features of the area, such as the living components of the leaf litter.

The Horn Book

2014-06-30
This new entry in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series is a Stage 2 title exploring the busy and diverse world of the rain forest. In a format reminiscent of the Magic Schoolbus books, an adult leader accompanies an African-American boy and a Caucasian girl on a trip into the rain forest, with sidebars, fact boxes, picture captions, diagrams and speech balloons rounding out the information presented in the text. Readers learn how this habitat differs from forests in temperate climates and visit the three levels (and their various plants and animals)—understory, canopy and emergent layer—along with the three characters; don't forget your climbing harness! Bolded words are defined within the text, and readers are barraged with fascinating facts: Ants make up more than half the insect species found in the rain forest (which explains why they get so many spreads). A labelled diagram shows the interconnectedness of the rain forest's parts, and two final spreads focus on threats to the world's rain forests as well as the benefits gained by protecting them. Backmatter invites readers to make a terrarium and lists various places in the U.S. where they can visit rain-forest exhibits. Dominated by greens and browns, Duke's friendly cartoons effectively communicate the immense variety of plant and animal life found in rain forests and feature cutaway views and close-ups in several spreads. A fascinating and solid introduction. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews