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The Rainforest Grew All Around
Imaginations will soar from the forest floor, up through the canopy and back down again, following the circle of life. The jungle comes alive as children learn about the creatures lurking in the lush Amazon rainforest in this clever adaptation of the song "The Green Grass Grew All Around." All Sylvan Dell titles feature free educational resources at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com, including the "For Creative Minds" Sections and additional teaching activities. The "For Creative Minds" sections features the following activities: Animal Sidebar Fun Facts: Jaguars, Emerald tree boas, Leafcutter ants, Sloths, Poison dart frogs, Toucans, Bats, Plant Sidebar Fun Facts: Kapok trees Liana vines Bromeliads, Rainforest Animal Adaptations matching activity, Plant Adaptations and Seed Dispersal matching activity, What comes from the rainforest?, Rainforest cookie recipe. 2008 IRA Teachers' Choices Award
Learning Magazine's 2008 Teachers' Choice Award
2007 NAPPA Honors
2008 Moms' Choice
Learning Magazine's 2008 Teachers' Choice Award
2007 NAPPA Honors
2008 Moms' Choice
32 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2007
7 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 8, 2013
Children will be entranced by what grows and lives in the rainforest in this colorful and innocent book. Young readers will not only be amazed at how grand the rainforest is; they will also learn how every part of the rainforest is connected. The eye popping illustrations provide a visual feast at the turn of every page. Children will learn more about how plants and animals contribute to the land in which they live through informational sidebars throughout the book and summative quizzes at the end.
The Rainforest Grew All Around is intended for readers five and up, though I think younger children will still find the illustrations inspiring. Don't limit this book to science class and story time! Children can sing this book to the tune of "The Green Grass Grew All Around" and use it as inspiration to draw, color, and create rainforest scenes of their own. This book is essential for your kindergarten and first grade bookshelf!
The Rainforest Grew All Around is intended for readers five and up, though I think younger children will still find the illustrations inspiring. Don't limit this book to science class and story time! Children can sing this book to the tune of "The Green Grass Grew All Around" and use it as inspiration to draw, color, and create rainforest scenes of their own. This book is essential for your kindergarten and first grade bookshelf!
September 9, 2015
A beautifully illustrated book about the rainforest that is accessible to younger children. My two=year-old loves the vibrant illustrations and the story-song (it's based on "The green grass grew all around..."). I appreciate that the main text is appropriate for younger children but adults can supplement with the side-bar details about each animal/plant if children have questions or older kids want to know more.
I was a little surprised that the "Rainforest Cookies" recipe section didn't mention about choosing responsibly harvested products, but maybe that wasn't quite so well-known when this book came out some years ago. OTOH, I liked that this wasn't a hit-you-over-the-head message book and simply leaving the question about "what would happen if we didn't have rainforests" could be a great springboard for discussion.
I was a little surprised that the "Rainforest Cookies" recipe section didn't mention about choosing responsibly harvested products, but maybe that wasn't quite so well-known when this book came out some years ago. OTOH, I liked that this wasn't a hit-you-over-the-head message book and simply leaving the question about "what would happen if we didn't have rainforests" could be a great springboard for discussion.
February 9, 2012
My favorite children's picture books are those that I can read aloud again and again and enjoy each time.
Susan K. Mitchell's The Rainforest Grew All Around is one of those delightful books that is a joy to read. My son and I sang the entire book to the tune of "The Green Grass Grew All Around." Mitchell's book takes place in a rainforest and she takes us through a cycle of life beginning with a seed that fell on the ground.
From there, the book journeys include a bat, bird, front, plant, frog, sloth, ant, snake, vine, cat, tree, and back the seed again. However, Mitchell doesn't content herself with just providing rainforest-themed words to a familiar song, she also fills each page with educational detail about the rainforest. For example, on the page where the jaguar is sitting near a vine—"the curliest vine that you ever did see," she talks about how these woody vines are called lianas. She explains why they climb trees and how they are usually as thick as an adult's arm.
It's this rich detail that would make this book a fantastic classroom resource, though its readability makes it great for home use as well. Mitchell balances the facts and the verse just right so that neither overwhelms or distracts from the other.
At the end of the book—in a section titled "For Creative Minds" that is clearly delineated from the rest of the text by its change to a white background—Mitchell offers a series of activities that can be either photocopied from the book (she gives permission) or downloaded from the publisher Website at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com. These activities include matching activities that deal with ways animals protect themselves and ways that plants manage to reproduce. She also includes a recipe for rainforest cookies that uses coconuts, cashews, cinnamon, vanilla, cacao, and bananas. I haven't made it, but it sounds delicious.
The illustrations are equal in quality to the text. Illustrator Connie McLennan produced vibrant watercolors suffused with bright greens and splashes of primary colors. The watercolors speak to the lushness of the rain forest. McLennan also cleverly switches the side panels containing educational detail to pastel complementary colors that contribute to each page’s balance. While many of the illustrations go right to the edge of the page, a dark green border frames each page with the edges of the watercolor made to look like roughened parchment.
While we've been in the process of clearing out books to donate to our son’s school at parent-teacher conferences tomorrow, I admit to some hesitation to parting with this one. Yes, it will make a perfect classroom book, but my son and I enjoyed reading it so much, that I hate to part with it.
Susan K. Mitchell's The Rainforest Grew All Around is one of those delightful books that is a joy to read. My son and I sang the entire book to the tune of "The Green Grass Grew All Around." Mitchell's book takes place in a rainforest and she takes us through a cycle of life beginning with a seed that fell on the ground.
From there, the book journeys include a bat, bird, front, plant, frog, sloth, ant, snake, vine, cat, tree, and back the seed again. However, Mitchell doesn't content herself with just providing rainforest-themed words to a familiar song, she also fills each page with educational detail about the rainforest. For example, on the page where the jaguar is sitting near a vine—"the curliest vine that you ever did see," she talks about how these woody vines are called lianas. She explains why they climb trees and how they are usually as thick as an adult's arm.
It's this rich detail that would make this book a fantastic classroom resource, though its readability makes it great for home use as well. Mitchell balances the facts and the verse just right so that neither overwhelms or distracts from the other.
At the end of the book—in a section titled "For Creative Minds" that is clearly delineated from the rest of the text by its change to a white background—Mitchell offers a series of activities that can be either photocopied from the book (she gives permission) or downloaded from the publisher Website at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com. These activities include matching activities that deal with ways animals protect themselves and ways that plants manage to reproduce. She also includes a recipe for rainforest cookies that uses coconuts, cashews, cinnamon, vanilla, cacao, and bananas. I haven't made it, but it sounds delicious.
The illustrations are equal in quality to the text. Illustrator Connie McLennan produced vibrant watercolors suffused with bright greens and splashes of primary colors. The watercolors speak to the lushness of the rain forest. McLennan also cleverly switches the side panels containing educational detail to pastel complementary colors that contribute to each page’s balance. While many of the illustrations go right to the edge of the page, a dark green border frames each page with the edges of the watercolor made to look like roughened parchment.
While we've been in the process of clearing out books to donate to our son’s school at parent-teacher conferences tomorrow, I admit to some hesitation to parting with this one. Yes, it will make a perfect classroom book, but my son and I enjoyed reading it so much, that I hate to part with it.
November 23, 2017
Appropriate grade level: Pre-k-2
Summary-It's an adaption from the song "The Green Grass Grows All Around" that describes the rainforest and it's inhabitants both wildlife and plants living in the canopy. The books describe a large variety of both in the book. Jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats are among the wildlife. The plants include kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads.
Review-The words in the song are simple for example "the funniest bird that you ever did see" and in the sidebars, it identifies the bird as a toucan. This is a brilliant way to add science and dept while keeping the song simplistic enough for students to sing along to it.
2 Possible in-class uses:
1. This is a great read out loud that the whole class can sing together.
2. This is also a great book to learn about the rainforest and how it works. It introduces new vocabulary that the teacher can explore with the children.
Summary-It's an adaption from the song "The Green Grass Grows All Around" that describes the rainforest and it's inhabitants both wildlife and plants living in the canopy. The books describe a large variety of both in the book. Jaguars, emerald tree boas, leafcutter ants, sloths, poison dart frogs, toucans, and bats are among the wildlife. The plants include kapok trees, liana vines, and bromeliads.
Review-The words in the song are simple for example "the funniest bird that you ever did see" and in the sidebars, it identifies the bird as a toucan. This is a brilliant way to add science and dept while keeping the song simplistic enough for students to sing along to it.
2 Possible in-class uses:
1. This is a great read out loud that the whole class can sing together.
2. This is also a great book to learn about the rainforest and how it works. It introduces new vocabulary that the teacher can explore with the children.
March 12, 2019
This book was a fun book to read. I loved the illustrations that were throughout the book. The illustrations were so well done and the art was realistic so it gave you an accurate picture of what animals in the rainforest look like. I enjoyed the story as well.
This book would be an excellent book to use in my future classroom. Along with the fun story and illustrations there were also fun facts throughout the book about the rainforest. There were facts about the environment as well as facts about conservation and what is happening to the rainforest. This is a fun way to teach students about the importance of environment conservation and it shows the students that there are ways that they can help these animals and their habitat.
This book would be an excellent book to use in my future classroom. Along with the fun story and illustrations there were also fun facts throughout the book about the rainforest. There were facts about the environment as well as facts about conservation and what is happening to the rainforest. This is a fun way to teach students about the importance of environment conservation and it shows the students that there are ways that they can help these animals and their habitat.
April 12, 2018
This story offers many levels of engagement for various learners. This is definitely a book that could be read multiple times. It has a rhyming song with the repeated phrase, “The Rainforest grew all around.” It also offers rich facts about the rainforest on the edges of the pages. The back pages of the book offers more facts about the rainforest and questions for the readers to ponder. The questions have various levels of inquiry to reach a multiple aged audience. The illustrations are colorful with soft colors of the Rainforest. The story does not offer a problem, but it does make the reader wonder about how a rainforest can be sustained and grow.
February 4, 2021
This two in one book entertains and informs. The traditional English folk song “And The Green Grass Grew All Around” is the model for the book’s main text. In this case, the tree is in the Amazon Rainforest. Each of the animals and plants named in the lyrical text also has side text with scientific information about the organism. A more traditional version of the song can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nktg1...
Tags: Rain forests -- Rain forest animals -- Rain forest plants -- Rain forests -- Poetry --
April 22, 2018
This informational text allows children go on a journey to the Amazon rainforest, full of exciting wildlife. As children read, they can learn about the plants and animals that reside in this habitat. This informative book also provides hands-on activities in the back of the book to better understand the content.
August 12, 2020
I liked the familiar story frame of "and the rainforest grew all around, all around and the rainforest grew all around." I also felt the informational pieces added on the side enhanced the story. They directly connect to the activity being described on the tree during that spread. They also were accessible for a young audience.
May 25, 2020
Lovely way to start of the rainforest topic! Children are able to see what animals and plants are found in the rainforest and gain some insight into these.
August 10, 2021
Vibrant images
June 18, 2024
If you love "The Green Grass Grew All Around," You're gonna love this one!
February 10, 2014
Kapok pronounced Key-pok
A great story to add on The Great Kapok Tree
I loved all the facts that were on each page:
Between 70-100 in of rain fall in the Amazon Rainforest each year.
The Amazon River is over 4,000 miles long and rises over 40 ft during rainy season.
Kapok trees grow between 150 and 200 ft. As tall as a 15-20 story building.
Jaguars' spots help them to hide. They spend their days sleeping and night hunting.
Vines wrap around and climb the trees looking for sunlight. Thick woody vines called lianas are usually as thick as an adult arm. (Look like rope)
Emerald tree boas live in the trees.
Leafcutter ants clip off the leaves. They eat the fungi that grow on the dead leaves.
Sloths hand upside-down and move very slowly.
Pineapples are bromeliads that grow in the ground. Bromeliads have round clusters of leaves that catch rain and make little ponds.
Female poison dart frogs lay their eggs but the males carry the tadpoles to separate bromeliad ponds so each one will have enough to eat.
Toucans use their large beaks to pluck fruit front trees. They also eat bugs, small lizards, and the eggs and chicks of other birds.
Fruit and nectar-feeding bats help pollinate flowers and spread seeds of trees and plants. Bats are the only mammals that fly and have hair not feathers.
The flowers on the Kapok tree turn into large, hard pods that burst open. Tiny little seeds inside the pods are covered with white fluff, called kapok. The wind blows the kapok fluff and the seeds off to make new trees.
"On the ground, there fell a seed…"
An add on story
"The seed in the ground,
and the rainforest grew
all around, all around,
the rainforest grew all around."
"And from the seed, there grew a tree… the tallest tree that you ever did see.
The tree from the seed,
and the seed in the ground,
and the rainforest grew
all around, all around,
the rainforest grew all around."
The end looks and sounds like this:
And from the pod,
there blew a seed…
the fluffiest seed that you ever did see.
The seed from the pod,
and the pod by the bat,
and the bat near the bird,
and the bird by the frog,
and the frog in the plant,
and the plant by the sloth,
and the sloth near the ant,
and the ant by the snake,
and the snake by the vine,
and the vine near the cat,
and the cat in the tree,
and the tree from the seed,
and the seed in the ground,
and the rainforest grew
all around, all around,
the rainforest grew all around."
A great story to add on The Great Kapok Tree
I loved all the facts that were on each page:
Between 70-100 in of rain fall in the Amazon Rainforest each year.
The Amazon River is over 4,000 miles long and rises over 40 ft during rainy season.
Kapok trees grow between 150 and 200 ft. As tall as a 15-20 story building.
Jaguars' spots help them to hide. They spend their days sleeping and night hunting.
Vines wrap around and climb the trees looking for sunlight. Thick woody vines called lianas are usually as thick as an adult arm. (Look like rope)
Emerald tree boas live in the trees.
Leafcutter ants clip off the leaves. They eat the fungi that grow on the dead leaves.
Sloths hand upside-down and move very slowly.
Pineapples are bromeliads that grow in the ground. Bromeliads have round clusters of leaves that catch rain and make little ponds.
Female poison dart frogs lay their eggs but the males carry the tadpoles to separate bromeliad ponds so each one will have enough to eat.
Toucans use their large beaks to pluck fruit front trees. They also eat bugs, small lizards, and the eggs and chicks of other birds.
Fruit and nectar-feeding bats help pollinate flowers and spread seeds of trees and plants. Bats are the only mammals that fly and have hair not feathers.
The flowers on the Kapok tree turn into large, hard pods that burst open. Tiny little seeds inside the pods are covered with white fluff, called kapok. The wind blows the kapok fluff and the seeds off to make new trees.
"On the ground, there fell a seed…"
An add on story
"The seed in the ground,
and the rainforest grew
all around, all around,
the rainforest grew all around."
"And from the seed, there grew a tree… the tallest tree that you ever did see.
The tree from the seed,
and the seed in the ground,
and the rainforest grew
all around, all around,
the rainforest grew all around."
The end looks and sounds like this:
And from the pod,
there blew a seed…
the fluffiest seed that you ever did see.
The seed from the pod,
and the pod by the bat,
and the bat near the bird,
and the bird by the frog,
and the frog in the plant,
and the plant by the sloth,
and the sloth near the ant,
and the ant by the snake,
and the snake by the vine,
and the vine near the cat,
and the cat in the tree,
and the tree from the seed,
and the seed in the ground,
and the rainforest grew
all around, all around,
the rainforest grew all around."
March 21, 2017
Inara loves books with quizzes at the end to check her knowledge.
September 14, 2015
This book has a nice blend of poetry and facts that entertains and informs. The cumulative tale builds from one plant or creature in the rainforest to another until it comes full circle. And each page has a tidbit of information that expands on the new addition to the poem.
The colorful illustrations are wonderfully detailed and often give a hint as to what is coming next in the story. Even though we've read other books about the rainforest, we all learned a few new things from this book. For example, we did not know that the male poison dart frog carries each tadpole to a separate bromeliad plant so that each will have enough to eat.
There are a couple of quizzes in the back that are pretty easy, but still fun to take and we liked the recipe for the Rainforest cookies, too. Overall, it was a fun book to read aloud and we really enjoyed reading it together.
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.
The colorful illustrations are wonderfully detailed and often give a hint as to what is coming next in the story. Even though we've read other books about the rainforest, we all learned a few new things from this book. For example, we did not know that the male poison dart frog carries each tadpole to a separate bromeliad plant so that each will have enough to eat.
There are a couple of quizzes in the back that are pretty easy, but still fun to take and we liked the recipe for the Rainforest cookies, too. Overall, it was a fun book to read aloud and we really enjoyed reading it together.
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.
June 14, 2013
"There are no value judgments being made in this book. There's no talk of damage to the rainforest, there's no call to action. Child readers can just feel part of that environment. The Rainforest Grew All Around is a beautiful looking and beautiful sounding book that children can grow up with."
Excerpt from Original Content.
Excerpt from Original Content.
December 30, 2013
The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K Mitchell and Illustrated by Connie McLennan is a rewrite of the classic cumulative song The Green Grass Grew All Around using animals and plants from the rainforest.
This is a terrific version of the song and the text sings well. The pictures are lush and exciting and there's also more information which can be read by students who are reading the book independently. My students enjoy this book.
I recommend this book for kids 5-9
This is a terrific version of the song and the text sings well. The pictures are lush and exciting and there's also more information which can be read by students who are reading the book independently. My students enjoy this book.
I recommend this book for kids 5-9
December 4, 2007
Non-fiction picture book. This book is written to the tune of The Green Grass Grew All Around. Rain forest animals are the subject of this fact filled book. Kids will catch on to the pattern in the poem and join in. Facts included on most pages and at the back of the book. Use in lessons about the rain forest, habitats, ecosystems, and conservation.
November 9, 2009
A great choice for storytime since you can sing the book to the tune of the Green Grass Grew all Around. Even if you choose not to sing, you can ask your listeners about the detailed illustrations. I especially like that most page spreads feature a hint about what creature will be featured in the next one.
September 15, 2015
A great introduction to rain forests. I loved the bright colors and beautiful illustrations, they make the book something that even pre-readers would love to sit and look through.
Also, the rhythm and add-on nature of the words make this a perfect read-aloud for younger kids. My 6 year old really liked it!
Also, the rhythm and add-on nature of the words make this a perfect read-aloud for younger kids. My 6 year old really liked it!
August 29, 2008
We have been working on the letter "R" all week so we added the rainforest to our learning and this book was a fantastic way to introduce the rainforest. We especially liked that the book has a recipe for rainforest cookies! I highly recommend this book.
March 17, 2012
I always teach my first graders the song, "The Green Grass Grows All Around." We sing it a lot during the first half of the year so they really enjoy listening to this book during our study of the rain forest.
June 22, 2013
I like this book better as a teaching aid than a storybook to read just for fun. Still, it's a great resource and children will enjoy it. Sidebars give lots of information on various creatures of the rainforest.
Read
August 12, 2016 A rainforest version of the green grass grew all around. Sidebars with helpful, interesting facts on each page. End pages with animal adaptions for older children. A nice introduction to rainforests for preschoolers or kindergarteners.
April 7, 2009
Wonderful Illustrations and a good book to start children to understand the need to save the rainforest. The book also has a side bar on some pages that has facts about the rainforest.
April 22, 2012
This is a great book that depicts the circle of life and rain forest life by utilizing rhyme and repetition. Great for any age.
August 25, 2012
We always like books-to-sing. This one felt a little too redundant but we did learn some good things: bromeliad, poison dart frog dads carrying their tadpoles to different leaves. . .
September 11, 2016
Well done exploration of things in a rainforest. Side bar explanations accompany main text.
September 9, 2015
A nicely illustrated book with interesting rain forest facts on each page. Perfect for a first lesson on the rain forest in the classroom.
September 15, 2015
My 7 year old loved reading the text of this re-imagined song aloud to me. We both appreciated the facts included on each page. The illustrations are bright and a nice match to the song and topic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews