Do You Really Want to Visit a Temperate Forest?

Do you really want to visit Earth's biomes?

by Bridget Heos, Daniele Fabbri

"A child astronaut takes an imaginary trip to Saturn, learns about the harsh conditions on the gas planet, and decides that Earth is a good home after all. Includes solar system diagram, Saturn vs. Earth fact chart, and glossary"--Provided by publisher.

24 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014

Reviews

[Anna]

I really liked this book! It's very informative, has lovely illustrations with a nice color palette, and it has some references/little jokes throughout the book (Red Hiding Hood reference and Goldilocks and the Three Bears reference/joke). I quite enjoyed the ending. It made me chuckle. There is also a glossary and a section of resources for you to learn more about forests at the back of the book.

[Suzanne]

This entire series is a wonderfully illustrated introduction to various biomes. In this volume, a little girl in a red jacket and hat sets off into the woods. Sound familiar? But the text is quick to point out that this is not a fairy tale, this is a real forest in the Pacific Northwest. Details about the climate and the location of the forest are worked in without bogging down the narrative. A landslide looks a little scary, but it does provide shelter from predators for smaller animals. Tree-climbing gear can take you to the canopy for a great view. Or you could ride a zipline from tree to tree (after all, wolves can't climb).

Overall, the book covers three different examples of temperate forest, shares interesting facts, and has some cool action with the ziplines and larger animals that are encountered. The tongue-in-cheek references to fairy tales are another way the text and illustrations keep the reader's attention. The back matter includes a map of temperate forests worldwide, a glossary, books and websites to check out for more information, and even some simple conservation ideas to help save the forests.

I received this book as a free sample from the publisher after participating in a webinar on new titles for children. I read it and immediately took it to show some of the teachers in my school, then ordered the entire series. This is a great set of books for younger students who are studying biomes, ecosystems, and habitats. I highly recommend it. (And I can't wait for the other books to arrive!)

[Teresa Bateman]

Part of a six-book series on different environments, this is a quick overview of temperate forests, with a touch of humor. A red-cloaked girl gets her supplies and heads first to the Pacific Northwest to visit a temperate rainforest. She learns a little about climate, wildlife, and the canopy as she travels from Washington to California. Wait, is that a wolf following her? She also visits the Adirondack Forest in New York, which is deciduous, rather than coniferous. Wait...is that porridge in the shelter she just found? The book has bright computer-generated illustrations, a map showing where temperate forests can be found around the world, and a glossary and bibliography. This is adequate introduction to the topic, with a hint of fairy-tale links, hopefully leading to further study.

[Jen]

I really think nonfic books should typically have photos not illustrations. that's my big beef. other than that, informative and funny book.