In Focus: Forests

by Libby Walden (Creator), Grace Easton (Illustrations), Julie Colombet (Illustrations)

Ten illustrators delve into the woodlands to explore the creatures, culture, and conservation of our forested areas. This super-sized book draws back the canopy of the rain forest, winds its way through the fir trees, and dives to the depths of the kelp forest to uncover the fascinating facts of these unique ecosystems.

Genres: Nature

28 pages, Hardcover

Published March 5, 2019

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

These In Focus books are a science teacher's dream. They're colorful, accessible, and filled with fascinating nuggets of information about the topic, in this case, forests. The book is divided into ten sections, and different illustrators contribute images to complement forest-related topics such as the Black Forest, rain forests, mangrove forests, the anatomy of trees, and even myths related to forests. Each of the topics gets six pages, including two pages that lift up to reveal even more information on the pages beneath them. Readers will notice various plants and animals moving along the pages as well as learning more than they might expect about trees. I also appreciated learning more about those indigenous peoples who live in the forests and aren't particularly interested in contact with outsiders. There are a couple of spelling errors that might detract from readers' enjoyment of the book, but it's easy enough to ignore this when faced with the book's beauty and factual value. Teachers and caregivers would be foolish not to add this one to their library. It's sturdy, well designed, and important since it closes with a reminder that humans are responsible for destroying many of the world's forest, a practice that can only spell disaster if it continues. No matter the age of the reader, there's something to learn here.