The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy

by Kathryn Lasky, Christopher G. Knight (Photographer)

Follows the work of scientist Meg Lowman and her sons as they study the brilliant and vivid world of the rainforest canopy and its myriad of exotic creatures, including spider monkeys, bats, and vipers.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Childrens, Teaching, School, Picture Books

48 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1997

About the author

Kathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kathryn Lasky's The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy is both informative and engaging (Dr. Lowman is inspiring, and I appreciate that when she is introducing her two sons to the rainforest canopy, she is first and foremost concerned with and for their safety and that they do not needlessly interfere with the rainforest's diverse ecosystems). For a rather dense non fiction offering on the science of rainforest canopy exploration and research, the presented narrative actually reads very much flowingly and generally keeps one's interest throughout (although I do find the sequence at the end where Dr. Lowman is reading to her sons before bedtime, while sweet and poignant, somewhat distracting and keep catching myself skimming and rushing). As to Christopher G. Knight's accompanying photographs, while I (personally) would prefer a combination of photographs and line-drawing like illustrations, they do provide a realistic mirror of and to the author's narrative, and I also have to wonder if my somewhat lacklustre reaction to them might be due to the fact that I am reading The Most Beautiful Roof in the World on my Kindle (which seems to make many of the photographs appear somewhat unclear and overly small).

[Sophy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't realise this was a bloody kid's book when I bought it! Eh!

Never mind, some good photos and random facts about rainforest creatures.

I'm sure this would be amazing if you were a kid!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We first started reading this book on in October 2015, but I didn't get very far reading it aloud with our girls. They told me that they were burnt out on rainforest books. So I ended up borrowing it again and reading it on my own.

It's a fast read and very informative and educational, if a bit dated (the book was first published about 19 years ago and you can see that by the clothing styles). Still, there are a lot of colorful photographs that really help to depict the information provided in the narrative.

This book was featured as one of the selections for the September 2015: Rainforests discussion for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this story of Meg Lowman and her work in the rainforest canopy quite interesting. The text was dense for a picture book, and it didn't hold my children's attention...and even I read it in two chunks, not one sitting. But I especially found the description of how she studied and recorded the plant and insect life in a five meter square rather interesting. I also found it interesting to read about how she used an inflatable raft to float over the canopy in Cameroon and how she swung through the canopy on a construction crane in Panama.

While this certainly could be used in a classroom, it would definitely need to be read in chunks. And I suspect that only students really interested in the rain forest would read it independently.

[SamZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in-depth look at a day in the life of scientist Meg Lowman and her research in the canopy section of the Blue Creek Rainforest in Belize. There was some interesting information in this book, but I think it could have been presented differently to hold the reader's attention better. I did like the descriptions of the ant gardens; I had never heard of those before. I would be interested in learning more about canopy walkway construction and other technological improvements made in the last 20 years.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photographs have no captions. 1160 Lexile. Plenty of tier 3 vocabulary particular to rain forests. No page numbers for reference. No index, but there is a glossary.

Interesting text that shows the task of a scientist gathering information for research. Also suggests the importance of responsible research when Dr. Meg Lowman takes a spider specimen but her children exclaim that it could be the last spider of its kind. (It wasn't and she shows them how she knows.). It's is a narrative nonfiction that follows Dr. Lowman's research in their rainforest. Also touches on other rainforest a in Africa and Panama.

[Judi Paradis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A day in the life of a scientist carefully examining the canopy (top layer) of the rainforest using a system of bridges and cranes to send her aloft. Nice matter-of-fact description of a working mom scientist who engages her sons in her work. Unfortunately, the books is now a bit dated, and drags in places. The Scientist in the Field series is a more up-to-date text that presents the work of scientists solving puzzles about nature. With guidance from adults, children may enjoy this, but its a dense text for independent reading for most kids in grades 4 and 5.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice photographs

[Kllykl · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a children's book. Didn't check when I borrowed it. Nevertheless, Meg's job is very interesting.

[Phil J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of potential and a botched delivery. I loved the topic, but the organization was lacking. The text desperately needed more specific subheadings. There is one point where the text switches from a narrative of Meg Lowman and her sons on a bridge to a description of a blimp in Cameroon with no warning or transition. Many readers will be confused by that lack of care.

The photographs were beautiful, and they all needed captions to explain and identify exactly what was going on in them. There were also several passages, such as the explanation of an ascender and the description of the pathway layout, that desperately needed a diagram but didn't get one.

Lastly, a lot of vocabulary, specifically bromeliad and epiphyte, gets thrown around with little or no explanation. Even the glossary does not do enough to explain them.

I will be teaching this book to fifth graders next year, and I feel like I will have to do a lot of extra leg work in order for them to understand it.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a middle grade non-fiction book, following a rainforest scientist, Meg Lowman, through one day of work in the canopy of a rainforest in Belize, in Central
America. It’s possibly best suited for 4th-8th graders in terms of vocabulary and length.

If you have a child who is passionate about science & the rainforest, and who loves non-fiction books, they might enjoy this book at a younger age.

I thought it was interesting. It was written in 1997 though, so hopefully there is an updated version, with more info about what scientists have discovered since then!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Most Beautiful Roof in the World: Exploring the Rainforest Canopy
by Kathryn Lasky
A mother gets a moment to show the nature of her job to her children. Her childhood obsession of botany and science brought a flourishing job. She is able to show them the nature of Rainforest investigation. Her love of plants and rare animals that she gets to research and understand. The conservation of her job has changed so much from previous generations of researchers. Her vivid description shows the change to science and knowledge.

[Stacy Stoker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly good book, with some interesting information. I wish it had some additional nonfiction text features, such as diagrams, captions, fast fact boxes, etc., to aid the comprehension of my students.

[HopeAnneFrost]

This book is amazing and imurges you into the unique and does it the world of Meg Lowerman a rainforest scientist and you get to learn about what it would be like as a die tidy and about the treasured rainforest.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nature’s so damn cool. I thought it was neat how she was able to get to the canopy & having her boys with her on some trips. Neat, short story about plants, insects & other cool shit in the rainforest. The pictures are amazing

[Kmoney the goat]

Good

[Ashton Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very awwsome book

[Angely · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t read ir

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it because I READ IF IN SCHOOL UGH its boring

[Evelyn]

Good lots of info I used it for school :)

[Shane]

let me readdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd itttttt

[Sheehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with daughter for her classwork.

[Kim Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative, beautifully descriptive narrative of life in the rainforest.

[Emily Sharpe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book on the background of a research scientist in the rainforest. My only criticism is that it is quite outdated at this point.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended reading for 5th graders in the local school district. The book has great photos that show the life of an environmentalist studying the Belize rainforest.

[Brian Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

It talked so good about the rainforest and the pictures were so pretty and I recommend that you should read it too

[Ted Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

A educational journey through the Rainforest through the eyes of Kathryn Lasky. I always enjoy reading a sharing a book that shows through picture and words the actual author's experience.

[Pla Slys · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautiful roof

[Alivia Duchano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book we are doing it in our module

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

it looks cool and hard to do because you need to to go high and i am sacred of highest.