World of Wonder: Rain Forest Animals

 

Bibliographic Information: Franklin, C. (2008). World of wonder: Rain forest animals. United States: Children's Press.

 

Genre/Type: Non-fiction picture book

 

Summary: This book takes the form of an encyclopedia with a table of contents covering "What Is a Rain Forest?"; "Do Fish Live in the Rain Forests?"; "Can a Tapir Snorkel?"; "How Big Is the Largest Spider?"; "Why Are the Tree Roots So Big?"; "Do Sloths Turn Green?"; "Do Snakes Eat Birds?"; "Can Frogs Live in Trees?"; "How Big Is a Monkey Family?"; "What Lives in the Tallest Trees?"; "Do Animals Hunt at Night?"; "Do People Live in Rain Forests?"; and "Will There Always Be Rain Forests?" The book discusses the habitats of various animals, as well as some of their characteristics which allow them to survive in their environment. For example, the book explains how a Tapir has a trunk similar to an elephant that it can use as a snorkel underwater if it feels threatened on land. (This would be an important adaptation to discuss with students) Throughout the book, various trivia questions are also presented, with answers located in the back of the book, along with an index and glossary. 

 

Theme/Purpose: The purpose of this book is to give students a broad overview of some of the animals who live in the rain forest and how they survive. The book gives examples of predators, animal habitats and characteristics, as well as the importance of rain forests. The aim of this book is to peak students' interest in the topic of the rain forest and the animals it encompasses and to encourage them to do further research on the topic.

 

Selection/Evaluation: I selected this book because it provides a vast array of interesting information on various rain forest animals. I also really like the book's use of acetate pages, which function to engage the reader in their literacy experience. Students need not read the whole book if they do not want to, for the format of the book allows students to look at the table of contents and determine what they would like to learn about.