West Coast Wild Rainforest

by Deborah Hodge, Karen Reczuch (Illustrator)

Step into the majestic rainforest of the Pacific west coast and discover a unique community of creatures thriving in an interconnected web of life. Towering over the sea, along the magnificent Pacific west coast, is an ancient and beautiful rainforest with a unique ecosystem that is linked in many ways. In this fourth book in the West Coast Wild series, you will find trees as tall as twenty-storey buildings, tiny seedlings sprouting on nursery logs and brightly colored salmon spawning in streams. The salmon, as a keystone species, connect the ocean to the forest and provide a rich source of food for the bears, wolves, eagles and other creatures that live in this pristine wilderness. The remains of the fish add vital nutrients to the forest, feeding the lush green plants and trees. In turn, the thick vegetation shades the streams and protects the baby salmon that hatch and swim to the sea. Author Deborah Hodge provides a clear and engaging look at the interdependence of the forest species and the fascinating cycles of nature in this rare ecosystem, while Karen Reczuch’s lavish watercolors show the rainforest teeming with life in shades of green that can only come from receiving more than ten feet of rain a year.   Key Text Features illustrations author’s note further information further reading facts   Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.3 With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.3 Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.4 Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.

Genres: Nature

44 pages, Hardcover

Published March 5, 2024

About the author

Deborah Hodge is the award-winning author of 25 books for children. She specializes in writing engaging nonfiction for primary aged children. Her most recent title is Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm, a book on sustainable farming and where our food comes from. Her other work includes, The Kids Book of Canada's Railway, winner of the Information Book Award of Canada, and Lily and the Mixed-up Letters, named an Outstanding Book for Young People with Disabilities. Deborah is a former primary teacher and curriculum writer for the BC Ministry of Education. She lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Reviews

[Mrs.MakesReadingFun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! We are definitely biased, because we live in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, and they are our true happy place! But, that aside, this is a totally amazing book filled with beautiful, realistic illustrations, spot-on facts, and told in an almost story-like way. Loved!

This is the kind of non-fiction book that you can read aloud to children, and they’ll soak up every detail, ask questions, and share their connections. My own daughter just had to chat away about the banana slug (yes we’ve seen many!) and she made me pause on the final pages and soak up every fern-filled, mossy detail.

Get this book if you call the PNW home, if you love nature and wildlife, if you love excellent non-fiction books for children, or if you are a teacher or librarian. A must-have!

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gorgeous picture book takes readers to the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Vivid illustrations bring to life the look and feel of an ancient forest. Wildlife and plants flourish and complement each other. The cool wet environment allows trees to grow for hundreds of years, which provide shelter and food for animals, and the extraordinary banana slug. Cool shaded waters are home to spawning and hatching salmon. The continuous life cycle provides food for bears, wolves, and eagles. This fourth book in the West Coast Wild series provides readers with a wonderfully immersive journey into a unique ecosystem.

[Metthea Maddern · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and fact-filled description of the relationships between plants and animals in a Pacific west coast rainforest, focusing on salmon as the keystone species of the ecosystem. Gorgeous watercolour illustrations offer lots of details and bring life to the words. In my opinion, this is the best of the titles in the West Coast Wild. Back matter includes more information and explanation in the author’s note, and a list for further reading. This is an excellent addition to my elementary school library collection.

[Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for children that do not live in the PNW as well as those children who live outside of the PNW. I think this book would encourage children to brave the rain in the winter months and get out in the forest!

[Tony Loyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, not great