A simple introduction to the beauty of forests and the vibrant life within them, from the award-winning author of the acclaimed interactive picture book Tap the Magic Tree.
This beautifully illustrated nonfiction children’s picture book begins with a view of the forest at a distance, then zooms in on its fascinating details, including the amazing trees, bright birds, adorable baby animals, and other wonders of nature that inhabit it. The rhythmic text and inviting watercolor illustrations allow curious young readers to observe, explore, and learn what makes forests so special and vitally important.
An engaging read-aloud that invites questions and conversation, Forest offers an intriguing introduction to the natural world and encourages little ones to develop a connection with the great outdoors that can last a lifetime. Perfect for any time of year and a beautiful way to celebrate spring, Earth Day, Mother’s Day, or the arrival of a new baby, this endlessly delightful children's nature book includes additional information about forests and what we can do to care for them.---from the publisher
44 pages 978-1797228495 Ages 4-7
Keywords: trees, forest, nature, outdoors, Earth Day, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, ecosystems
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“No one I think is in my tree
I mean, it must be high or low
That is, you can't, you know, tune in, but it's alright
That is, I think it's not too bad”
– Lennon/McCartney (1967)
“Globally we deforest around ten million hectares of forest every year. That's an area the size of Portugal every year. Around half of this deforestation is offset by regrowing forests, so overall we lose around five million hectares each year. Nearly all – 95% – of this deforestation occurs in the tropics.”
– Hannah Ritchie (2021) - “Deforestation and Forest Loss”
“Try and leave this world a little better than you found it, and when your turn comes to die you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best.”
– Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts
Just in time for Earth Day 2024, the stunningly beautiful FOREST by Christie Matheson is a joyful, nonfiction picture book featuring an illustrated poem. Here’s the text:
“The forest is…
filled with trees
and their trunks and branches,
needles and leaves.
It has trills and tweets,
food to eat,
holes to explore,
and tunnels galore.
It has webs that glisten
and owls who listen,
nooks for nesting
and beds for resting.
It’s a fun play space
and a hiding place.
It’s shelter from a storm.
The forest is…
home.”
FOREST is filled with gorgeous watercolor illustrations that feature evergreens (and the occasional deciduous species like oak and birch), along with a wide variety of critters–of all shapes and sizes–who inhabit the forest. The covers-front and back-feature a dense, visually impenetrable, aerial view of line upon line of evergreens–the forest. The endpapers are subtly varying shades of forest greens.
Young preschoolers will take great delight in pointing out the variety of forest inhabitants who are revealed: They include the warren of mom-and-baby rabbits next to a fox’s burrow. The chipmunk-on-a-branch tip-toeing by the sleeping owl. The bears and deers, butterflies and spiders, the mama robin and her hatchlings, and the raccoon who blends into the hole-in-a-tree that it is inhabiting.
For slightly older audiences, FOREST thereby provides rich possibilities for expanding upon the forest-is-their-home theme by discussing food chains, camouflage, and natural selection.
The backmatter, titled ”Taking Care of Our Forests,” includes simple tips on conserving the forests, along with a list of organizations involved in planting trees.
So tune in to FOREST. Take a walk in the woods. And consider making a difference by planting a tree.
Recommended by: Richie Partington, MLIS, California USA
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