Rain Forest. (Crabtree Connections). Sarah Levete. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $7.95 (pbk.), $18.36 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7865-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7843-1 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Rain forest ecology-Juvenile literature. Rain forests-Juvenile literature. Kindergarten-grade 2 / Ages 5-7. Review by Sherry Faller. *** ½ /4
	Jungle Crash! (Crabtree Connections). Sarah Levete. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $7.95 (pbk.), $18.36 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7871-4 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7849-3 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Jungles-Juvenile literature. Jungle ecology-Juvenile literature. Forest conservation-Juvenile literature. Kindergarten-grade 2 / Ages 5-7. Review by Sherry Faller. *** ½ /4
	Survival in the Jungle. (Crabtree Connections). Anita Ganeri. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $7.95 (pbk.), $18.36 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7880-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7858-5 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Orangutan-Juvenile literature. Endangered species-Juvenile literature. Kindergarten-grade 2 / Ages 5-7. Review by Sherry Faller. *** ½ /4

excerpt:

Stop Cutting, Start growing! People can stop cutting down so many jungle trees. Also new trees can be planted so that jungle animals have somewhere to live. It would take a lot of trees, however, to replace trees that have been cut down. If people look after the trees, then jungle animals will always have homes. (From Jungle Crash!)

This set of three books is a wonderful resource for early readers. The full coloured pages are exciting as well as informative. While each book stands alone, together they offer an easy to understand explanation of the perils Earth’s rain forests are encountering.

      Each book is written in short, easy-to-read sentences with bolded words explained in the glossary. The index and contents offer a perfect opportunity to teach the use of these tools at a young age. The fonts are large, and the print is clustered in captions around the photos that are splashed around the double page spreads. The suggested websites listed in “Further Reading” all work and offer great information for older children.

      In Rain Forest, the reader can learn about various jungle creatures, from those on the ground, like geckos and ants, to macaws in the tops of the trees. The rain forest is home to every animal group, including humans. Readers can learn how humans live in harmony with the plants and animals.

      The story in Survival in the Jungle is narrated by an orangutan that used to live in the jungle. Wonderful photos show the family life and physical features of the orangutan. Disaster strikes the orangutan when loggers destroy their habitat. Luckil,y they are rescued and now live in a sanctuary – a happy ending for young readers to ponder.

      The third book, Jungle Crash!, is about how many rain forest areas are being destroyed to make room for human expansion. Trees are cleared for lumber that is exported, and the deforested areas are used to increase farmland. As a result, animals lose their homes and are quickly becoming endangered. The Harpy Eagle, parrots, spider monkeys and even the indigenous people are losing their homes. Plants that provide medicine are disappearing. In its efforts to provoke the reader to take action, Jungle Crash! portrays a rather dismal outlook for the future of the rain forests.

      This trio of books would make an excellent resource for any early years school library.

Highly Recommended.

Sherry Faller is a teacher librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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