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Life in the Boreal Forest
The great northern forest—the boreal forest—is home to a unique ecosystem of animals and plants. It covers one-third of the earth's total forest area and is home to so many birds that it is known as "North America's bird nursery."
The forest is a treasure trove of riches, but it's threatened by increased human development and climate changes. This gorgeous book teaches readers about the boreal forest and reminds them that it's up to us to make sure the beauty and bounty survive.
The forest is a treasure trove of riches, but it's threatened by increased human development and climate changes. This gorgeous book teaches readers about the boreal forest and reminds them that it's up to us to make sure the beauty and bounty survive.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2009
About the author
Brenda Z. Guiberson
36 books10 followersBrenda Z. Guiberson has written many books for children, including Cactus Hotel, Spoonbill Swamp, Moon Bear and Disasters. As a child, Brenda never thought she wanted to be a writer—her dreams tended more toward jungle explorer. She graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in English and Fine Art. She started thinking about writing for children when her son went to elementary school, and she volunteered in his class and in the school library. After taking exciting trips that involved a fifty-foot cactus, hungry alligators and sunset-colored spoonbills, she wanted to create books for children that would be like a field trip. Her books are full of well-researched detail, and Brenda sees this research as an adventure—one that allows her to be a jungle explorer at last. She lives in Seattle, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 24, 2019
While generally and for the most part Life in the Boreal Forest reads flowingly and engagingly enough (Brenda Z. Guiberson's narrative is detailed and informative, while Gennady Sirrin's accompanying illustrations are simply visually glorious, both mirroring and at times even rather expanding on Guiberson’s presented text), I do kind of feel that there is a bit of a frustrating sense of disconnect between parts of the written words and the desired, the intended audience. For in my opinion, the amount of narrative, and the often involved and intricate detail of Life in the Boreal Forest are clearly meant for older children (above the age of seven or so) while the animal sounds depicted actually tend to feel more appropriate for much younger children (and personally, I do find them rather frustrating and distracting, even mildly annoying, and wonder whether older children might not even consider them a bit childish, especially considering that the rest of the featured narrative is dense, descriptive and even a bit challenging with regard to vocabulary at times). Still, Life in the Boreal Forest is to be highly recommended (and not just for the information presented, but also for Brenda Z. Guiberson’s detailed author's note at the back, and the long list of websites at the front, although I do not really understand why these could not have been placed in one area of the book, as separating them out like this does not really seem to make all that much common sense).
May 6, 2021
This is an educational book with large beautiful lifelike pictures of wildlife in the boreal forest. Young children will enjoy the illustrations, but the text may be appropriate for middle elementary or older. It would fit the science theme and would be fine for an adult to read and discuss with children.
March 9, 2010
Spectacular, gorgeous, amazing, glorious illustrations. My only quibble is using the scariest looking one, a lynx hunting an ermine, as the cover illustration. I’d have gone with just about any of the other illustrations in the book for the cover.
This is a wonderful ecology book for children, with interesting information, fascinating details, and a plea for conservation, including a list of organizations in the front and an author’s note with map in the back of the book. The “sound effects” were rather interesting but might be challenging to read aloud accurately.
The illustration with the wolves might be my favorite but it's so difficult to choose.
This is a wonderful ecology book for children, with interesting information, fascinating details, and a plea for conservation, including a list of organizations in the front and an author’s note with map in the back of the book. The “sound effects” were rather interesting but might be challenging to read aloud accurately.
The illustration with the wolves might be my favorite but it's so difficult to choose.
September 26, 2019
Spread out over vast tracts of land in North America and Eurasia, the boreal forest - also known as the taiga - is home to an incredibly diverse array of plant and animal species, and plays a vital role in maintaining the global climate. With hundreds of bird species using it for nesting, and an annual drop in planetary carbon dioxide levels that coincides with its maximum growing season, this northern ecosystem should be a top priority, when it comes to ecological education for young children.
Unfortunately, although I can think of quite a few well-written, beautifully-illustrated picture-books about the rain forest, there seems to be a dearth of titles addressing the northern forest. Until now, that is. Brenda Z. Guiberson's narrative follows the residents of the forest through the four seasons, working observations about their dietary needs and hunting habits into the text. Gennady Spirin, better known for his fairy-tale illustrations, matches Guiberson's text with paintings of breathtaking detail. A beautiful and informative book, Life in the Boreal Forest should entertain and educate young readers. Highly recommended!
Unfortunately, although I can think of quite a few well-written, beautifully-illustrated picture-books about the rain forest, there seems to be a dearth of titles addressing the northern forest. Until now, that is. Brenda Z. Guiberson's narrative follows the residents of the forest through the four seasons, working observations about their dietary needs and hunting habits into the text. Gennady Spirin, better known for his fairy-tale illustrations, matches Guiberson's text with paintings of breathtaking detail. A beautiful and informative book, Life in the Boreal Forest should entertain and educate young readers. Highly recommended!
April 30, 2019
A fascinating look at animals through the year in a place where the temperatures drop as low as minus 40 degrees. There's an astonishing amount of facts presented in very few pages, and Guiberson does not shy away from the life-or-death struggles that occur. The book features paintings by Gennady Spirin, and his artwork is simply astonishing.
The author dotes on the fact that much of this wilderness is threatened, which made me feel uneasy, as it all seems beyond my control. This would be a great book for stressing the need for conservation to the younger generation. Perhaps they will be able to do what we have not . . .
Highly recommended for all wildlife lovers.
The author dotes on the fact that much of this wilderness is threatened, which made me feel uneasy, as it all seems beyond my control. This would be a great book for stressing the need for conservation to the younger generation. Perhaps they will be able to do what we have not . . .
Highly recommended for all wildlife lovers.
February 13, 2017
This beautiful book was full of interesting facts about the animals that live in the boreal forest. Gennady Spirin's detailed illustrations were the perfect accompaniment to the text, except for a couple of things. First, on the fifth page of text (the page with the 2-page spread of the bear), the lynx is mentioned ("The cat huddles quietly"), but I was going nuts trying to find that lynx in the accompanying illustration. I concluded there wasn't one, and, in fact, though the lynx was also mentioned on the sixth and seventh pages of text as well, its picture (very tiny) never appeared until the ninth page of text, and a close-up picture of it never appeared until the tenth two-page spread. Now, I know what a lynx looks like, but any kid that doesn't would be looking in the illustration where it's first mentioned for a picture of it. When an animal is first mentioned in the text, the illustration of it should accompany at least that first mention. Second, I take issue with Spirin's picture of voles accompanying the seventh page of text. Voles have ears that are so small that they're essentially hidden in its fur, and their noses aren't as pointed. His "voles" look like house mice to me. Aside from those two things, I found the book a visual feast.
I also learned a few things. For example, I didn't know that cutting down trees that are 100 years old or older deprives caribou of the lichens they need to eat to survive the winter. I also didn't know that stressed plants and trees can make toxins to ward off those who eat them (never heard of budworms). I was also surprised to learn that a beaver's lodge is so warm--80 degrees warmer than the outside air. They've got it cushy! And I didn't realize that bogs are formed when there's permafrost, so that the meltwater and rainwater can't drain out. An author's note at the end provides a map of the existing taiga/boreal forest today, most of it in Canada, Russia, and Alaska. At the front of the book are a lot of excellent web sites for further information.
I'm giving it 4 stars for the wonderful information, and the beautiful, though flawed, pictures. Recommended!
I also learned a few things. For example, I didn't know that cutting down trees that are 100 years old or older deprives caribou of the lichens they need to eat to survive the winter. I also didn't know that stressed plants and trees can make toxins to ward off those who eat them (never heard of budworms). I was also surprised to learn that a beaver's lodge is so warm--80 degrees warmer than the outside air. They've got it cushy! And I didn't realize that bogs are formed when there's permafrost, so that the meltwater and rainwater can't drain out. An author's note at the end provides a map of the existing taiga/boreal forest today, most of it in Canada, Russia, and Alaska. At the front of the book are a lot of excellent web sites for further information.
I'm giving it 4 stars for the wonderful information, and the beautiful, though flawed, pictures. Recommended!
April 1, 2012
This is an interesting look into the interwoven lives of the creatures who make their home in the vast Boreal Forest. Guiberson does a nice job of introducing the reader to information about the forest itself, its importance to the world, and special characteristics of the animals themselves.
I really liked the illustrations and think that they add to the story. I was a little bummed, however, that not every animal mentioned is illustrated, and sometimes it was hard to discern which animal was which (if you weren't already familiar with them). Its too bad there wasn't a "glossary" of types in the back.
The book is quite wordy, which is good on one hand because you get a lot of information. But, also, kind of runs contradictory to the various "sounds" in the book which make it feel like it's for a younger audience.
Also, be warned, this is not a very happy book. I wanted this to be a celebratory book about the forest, but it also left me with a feeling... sadness? Guiberson includes various hardships about the animals. I think it's important for children to be introduced to this side of things, but the book didn't have a happy or especially hopeful feel about it. Plus, there are the conservation warnings at the end. Again, I think this is super important and good for kids to learn about, but I wasn't really wowed by the approach. And there's not information to let kids know how they can help.
So, I know my review isn't totally glowing, but I still feel I should give this book four stars because it does give a lot of information, it does have beautiful illustrations, and it does highlight an aspect of nature which I haven't seen done a lot. So, for that, I give it the four stars.
I really liked the illustrations and think that they add to the story. I was a little bummed, however, that not every animal mentioned is illustrated, and sometimes it was hard to discern which animal was which (if you weren't already familiar with them). Its too bad there wasn't a "glossary" of types in the back.
The book is quite wordy, which is good on one hand because you get a lot of information. But, also, kind of runs contradictory to the various "sounds" in the book which make it feel like it's for a younger audience.
Also, be warned, this is not a very happy book. I wanted this to be a celebratory book about the forest, but it also left me with a feeling... sadness? Guiberson includes various hardships about the animals. I think it's important for children to be introduced to this side of things, but the book didn't have a happy or especially hopeful feel about it. Plus, there are the conservation warnings at the end. Again, I think this is super important and good for kids to learn about, but I wasn't really wowed by the approach. And there's not information to let kids know how they can help.
So, I know my review isn't totally glowing, but I still feel I should give this book four stars because it does give a lot of information, it does have beautiful illustrations, and it does highlight an aspect of nature which I haven't seen done a lot. So, for that, I give it the four stars.
August 17, 2009
This book so clearly captures the beauty and life in the boreal forest that one can almost hear the birds and smell the freshness of the air. The great northern forest stretches from Alaska and Canada to Scandinavia and Russia Showing the brevity of the northern summer, the activity of the stark winter months, and the glory of the spring and the return of warmth will bring readers face-to-face with nature and its drama. Spirin’s illustrations show delicate detail, dazzling vistas, and many many animals. This is a book to sink into, explore and learn.
Guiberson’s text is filled with sounds, from bird calls to wolves howling to smaller noises like hares hopping on snow. Each sound and its explanation brings this unique ecosystem to life. Her words create an understanding through the small details of the importance of this forest for all of us. Spirin excels as capturing animals with their small details and yet showing the forest itself as more than a background, as a living thing. Her art is large and breathtaking even while the details are shown.
Highly recommended, this book is a great nature book for children. For children in the north, this book is like coming home. For everyone it is important to see forests celebrated in this way. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Guiberson’s text is filled with sounds, from bird calls to wolves howling to smaller noises like hares hopping on snow. Each sound and its explanation brings this unique ecosystem to life. Her words create an understanding through the small details of the importance of this forest for all of us. Spirin excels as capturing animals with their small details and yet showing the forest itself as more than a background, as a living thing. Her art is large and breathtaking even while the details are shown.
Highly recommended, this book is a great nature book for children. For children in the north, this book is like coming home. For everyone it is important to see forests celebrated in this way. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
September 19, 2012
Gorgeous illustrations highlight this nonfiction book about the taiga in the northern climes. The narrative is informative, but not boring. There's lots of onomatopoeia and the animals are very detailed and realistic. The author's note at the end is a cautionary environmental message about the human impact on this region. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
This story was selected as one of the books for the September 2012 - Ecosystems reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
This story was selected as one of the books for the September 2012 - Ecosystems reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
April 26, 2012
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful pictures in this book! My niece seemed to be exhaling breathless "wows" on every other page, and several times she and I both reached out to touch the pictures, expecting to feel the texture of an animal's pelt, or the rough bark of a tree. The pictures were that good, that realistic, that beautiful.
I enjoyed the story, too, and I thought that the author's use of onomatopoeia to convey the sounds of the forest also gave the text an almost living quality. Sadly, my niece thought that the text was too long, and I don't think it engaged my nephew either. For the kids, this book was all about those fabulous pictures, and sometimes that's good enough.
I enjoyed the story, too, and I thought that the author's use of onomatopoeia to convey the sounds of the forest also gave the text an almost living quality. Sadly, my niece thought that the text was too long, and I don't think it engaged my nephew either. For the kids, this book was all about those fabulous pictures, and sometimes that's good enough.
March 24, 2010
I find a lot of college students here study and prepare lessons about the Rain forest, but I have yet to discover one who has done a project on the endangered Boreal (northern) forest, or taiga, which stretches across Russia, Scandinavia, and Canada. Brief descriptions of most of the inhabitants of the forest often include the sounds they make. There is discussion of the stresses on the food cycle and on the habitat. But what make the book outstanding are the exquisitely detailed watercolor (and pastel?) illustrations in shades of brown and grey by the Russian-born painter Gennady Spirin. The book is beautifully designed, with attractive endpapers and a beautiful title page. The book is preceded by a list of online sources, including the National Audubon Society and the Whooping Crane Conservation Association, and there is an author's note at the end. Lexile level is 860.
July 23, 2013
Audience: K-3
Genre: Non-fiction
Awards: Orbis Pictus Recommended Title 2010
Review: I grew up in Wisconsin and my favorite vacation spot was the Northwoods. It’s not exactly a boreal forest biome, but it is very close. The illustrations in this book are intricate and reminiscent of landscape and wildlife paintings. As I progressed through the book, I made a text-to-text connection with Jan Brett’s The Mitten. The message of Life in a Boreal Forest is one of survival, food chains, seasons, and conservation. The animals are the highlight of the book. Many of the same Taiga (a Russian word for this biome) animals appear in the fiction book, The Mitten. To teach this book using a twin fiction text, I searched popular children’s picture books on Goodreads and was able to come up with one other title that has a similar feel in the setting, The Tomten, by Astrid Lindgren which is the story of an elf-like creature who comes to the homestead in the cruel winter to encourage the animals with thoughts of spring. Instead of the setting being, in the forest, it is a farm, in a boreal forest clearing.
Procedure: To teach the nonfiction book Life in a Boreal Forest to a primary classroom, I would start by reading The Mitten. When using twin texts, it is recommended to start with the fiction text to set the stage, encourage interest, and develop schema. I would use a two-column chart in which students could name/identify animals and setting characteristics (trees, landforms, climate) that come up in the story. Some examples that students may share are: mole, rabbit, owl, fox, bear etc. and forest, pine trees, birch/aspen trees, snow, etc. Since this is such a different biome than the prairie in which we live, I would also read a second story, The Tomten. As a class we could compare and contrast in a discussion the two fiction stories.
To continue the lesson (possibly the next day) I would read Life in a Boreal Forest. I would remind students of our fiction texts, and show them where boreal forests occur on a world map. I would clarify vocabulary as we read. Depending on the age of the students, there would be many vocabulary words and concepts to clarify. As a post reading activity, I would want to make a chart/matrix or some other form of graphic organizer comparing our fiction texts to the nonfiction text. Some guiding questions could be: What animals were the same? What is human development? Is winter cruel? What animal in the boreal forest has a home as cozy as the human’s house? In The Tomten the farmer must have gathered aspen leaves for the sheep, who helps the hare get the birch leaves? The trapper wants the Lynx for a coat, what do you think Nikki’s coat is made of in The Mitten? Can we find the different kinds of snow in both our fiction books and in the nonfiction book?
Finally, it is necessary to stress the importance of boreal forests to life on our planet. They are as important as the rain forests. There are many avenues to take in teaching this book. A substantial list of websites is included in the book for reference and further study.
Genre: Non-fiction
Awards: Orbis Pictus Recommended Title 2010
Review: I grew up in Wisconsin and my favorite vacation spot was the Northwoods. It’s not exactly a boreal forest biome, but it is very close. The illustrations in this book are intricate and reminiscent of landscape and wildlife paintings. As I progressed through the book, I made a text-to-text connection with Jan Brett’s The Mitten. The message of Life in a Boreal Forest is one of survival, food chains, seasons, and conservation. The animals are the highlight of the book. Many of the same Taiga (a Russian word for this biome) animals appear in the fiction book, The Mitten. To teach this book using a twin fiction text, I searched popular children’s picture books on Goodreads and was able to come up with one other title that has a similar feel in the setting, The Tomten, by Astrid Lindgren which is the story of an elf-like creature who comes to the homestead in the cruel winter to encourage the animals with thoughts of spring. Instead of the setting being, in the forest, it is a farm, in a boreal forest clearing.
Procedure: To teach the nonfiction book Life in a Boreal Forest to a primary classroom, I would start by reading The Mitten. When using twin texts, it is recommended to start with the fiction text to set the stage, encourage interest, and develop schema. I would use a two-column chart in which students could name/identify animals and setting characteristics (trees, landforms, climate) that come up in the story. Some examples that students may share are: mole, rabbit, owl, fox, bear etc. and forest, pine trees, birch/aspen trees, snow, etc. Since this is such a different biome than the prairie in which we live, I would also read a second story, The Tomten. As a class we could compare and contrast in a discussion the two fiction stories.
To continue the lesson (possibly the next day) I would read Life in a Boreal Forest. I would remind students of our fiction texts, and show them where boreal forests occur on a world map. I would clarify vocabulary as we read. Depending on the age of the students, there would be many vocabulary words and concepts to clarify. As a post reading activity, I would want to make a chart/matrix or some other form of graphic organizer comparing our fiction texts to the nonfiction text. Some guiding questions could be: What animals were the same? What is human development? Is winter cruel? What animal in the boreal forest has a home as cozy as the human’s house? In The Tomten the farmer must have gathered aspen leaves for the sheep, who helps the hare get the birch leaves? The trapper wants the Lynx for a coat, what do you think Nikki’s coat is made of in The Mitten? Can we find the different kinds of snow in both our fiction books and in the nonfiction book?
Finally, it is necessary to stress the importance of boreal forests to life on our planet. They are as important as the rain forests. There are many avenues to take in teaching this book. A substantial list of websites is included in the book for reference and further study.
Read
July 22, 2013Audience:Primary/Intermediate
Genre:Informational
Fiction Twin Text: Wolves of the Beyond:Lone Wolf by Kathryn Lasky
I chose this book because it seems to be a pretty popular series with intermediate grade students. A helpless wolf cub with a deformed foot is taken in by a child-less bear. The book details Faolan's (the wolf)struggle to survive in the wilderness without a pack. This book ties is beautifully with Life in the Boreal Forest.
In Life in the Boreal Forest the reader learns about the Boreal Forest that stretches across Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Russia. The reader is exposed to many different animals that live in the forest, including bears and wolves.The reader learns about the effect the seasons have on the forest and how this affects the animals that live in the forest. Having the fiction selection to refer to will make the non-fiction text much more meaningful. The students will be able to relate with the text through the character, Faolan.
Both books would fit in wonderfully in a science unit on Biomes. The Boreal Forest is actually another name for the Taiga (something that I just learned with this assignment).
Genre:Informational
Fiction Twin Text: Wolves of the Beyond:Lone Wolf by Kathryn Lasky
I chose this book because it seems to be a pretty popular series with intermediate grade students. A helpless wolf cub with a deformed foot is taken in by a child-less bear. The book details Faolan's (the wolf)struggle to survive in the wilderness without a pack. This book ties is beautifully with Life in the Boreal Forest.
In Life in the Boreal Forest the reader learns about the Boreal Forest that stretches across Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Russia. The reader is exposed to many different animals that live in the forest, including bears and wolves.The reader learns about the effect the seasons have on the forest and how this affects the animals that live in the forest. Having the fiction selection to refer to will make the non-fiction text much more meaningful. The students will be able to relate with the text through the character, Faolan.
Both books would fit in wonderfully in a science unit on Biomes. The Boreal Forest is actually another name for the Taiga (something that I just learned with this assignment).
July 20, 2013
Audience: Primary
Genre: Non-fiction Picture Book
Twin Text: The Umbrella by Jan Brett
These two books show beautiful pictures of animals and their forest habitats. They would be great comparisons of these two kinds of forests, a boreal, or cold needle-leaf, forest, and a rain forest. Special attention can be turned to how, even though the colors and animals of the forests are very different (snow, evergreens, hare versus dripping rain, frogs, and large green leaves of a fig tree), they are very similar (animals use camouflage to hide, each forest has cats and rodents, etc.). Another item to note is that in the Boreal Forest book, one of the animals, the Tennessee warbler, migrates between rain forests in Mexico and the boreal forest. Making the connections between these two places can spark great conversations about migration, deforestation, and habitats.
Genre: Non-fiction Picture Book
Twin Text: The Umbrella by Jan Brett
These two books show beautiful pictures of animals and their forest habitats. They would be great comparisons of these two kinds of forests, a boreal, or cold needle-leaf, forest, and a rain forest. Special attention can be turned to how, even though the colors and animals of the forests are very different (snow, evergreens, hare versus dripping rain, frogs, and large green leaves of a fig tree), they are very similar (animals use camouflage to hide, each forest has cats and rodents, etc.). Another item to note is that in the Boreal Forest book, one of the animals, the Tennessee warbler, migrates between rain forests in Mexico and the boreal forest. Making the connections between these two places can spark great conversations about migration, deforestation, and habitats.
September 24, 2012
Great illustrations and text. This book really fascinated my 9 yo daughter. (My 4 and 7 yo girls only listened to about half and then began to play...) She had many questions about the animals, the forest, how we can help protect the forest, why people cut down trees, etc. This shows the food chain without being too gruesome, explores some of the animals that reside in the forest...including how they survive and what some of their challenges are, discusses some of the important plants in the forest, and explains how important preservation of the forest is. Well worth reading.
August 20, 2011
Loved the detailed illustrations with the animals sometimes almost hidden. Effectively communicated the message that deforestation is wreaking havoc on animal populations. Slightly boring for Logan, who I believe suspected he was being "taught" something, but the illustrations kept him going.
February 8, 2016
Wow, are these gorgeous illustrations. I seriously thought they were photos before I opened the book, but they're just really detailed paintings.
April 8, 2018
"Boreal means nothern, from Boreas, the greek god of the north wind."
This book is an amazing archievement. The illustrations alone are pure perfection and a delight to disappear into. I will be perusing this beautiful book again and again.
"Throughout the boreal forest, trees cleanse the air for all to breathe."
I would recommend this picture book to older children, as the vocabulary used is a bit more advanced and there is a lot to read, too. The book is a great way to show young ones the importance of wild life and forest preservation and what enormous good it does our overall ecosystem on the planet.
This book is an amazing archievement. The illustrations alone are pure perfection and a delight to disappear into. I will be perusing this beautiful book again and again.
"Throughout the boreal forest, trees cleanse the air for all to breathe."
I would recommend this picture book to older children, as the vocabulary used is a bit more advanced and there is a lot to read, too. The book is a great way to show young ones the importance of wild life and forest preservation and what enormous good it does our overall ecosystem on the planet.
January 4, 2023
The painted illustrations are soft and stunning, and the text offers good information about the boreal forest and who lives there, as well s a cautionary message about the importance of conservation. The reader learns about hibernation habits, food sources, and the challenges of hunting and foraging through the seasons in a diminishing habitat. A heartfelt author's note stresses the importance of recognizing the boreal forest as a vital component to the earth, in addition to the rain forest. Excellent information for grade three and up.
October 18, 2018
A gorgeous book! Crucial information clearly presented informs the reader about the importance of the boreal forest that covers one third of the world's forest area. Stunning illustrations of the forest and the wild life dependent upon it.
June 16, 2022
I love Spirin’s fairy tale illustrations. We read a lot of narrative, nature picture books, and this one isn’t the most narrative text, but has some interesting information I haven’t come across in other similar books.
July 13, 2017
Informative and eye-opening, but it's the illustrations that make it beautiful.
August 27, 2017
A nice look at boreal ecosystem with beautiful illustrations.
December 7, 2020
Gennedy Spirin is a favorite illustrator. Beautiful!!
January 25, 2023
Great book that connects to "Can You Hear The trees Talking?"
November 25, 2023
Date: 11/21/23
Genre: Informational Nonfiction
Level: K-3rd
Review: This book was interesting and explained the beauty of the forest. The forest is filled with different animals and plants. I learned that it covers one-third of the earth's total forest area. In this book you learn a lot about the forest but also how the forest is being threatened. It teaches the reader about how important it is to protect the world around us.
Genre: Informational Nonfiction
Level: K-3rd
Review: This book was interesting and explained the beauty of the forest. The forest is filled with different animals and plants. I learned that it covers one-third of the earth's total forest area. In this book you learn a lot about the forest but also how the forest is being threatened. It teaches the reader about how important it is to protect the world around us.
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April 30, 2016Title: Life in the Boreal Forest
Author: Brenda Z. Guiberson
Illustrator: Gennady Spirin
Genre: Orbis Pictus award
Theme(s): nature, animals, forests
Opening line/sentence: Tika tika tika swee swee! A Tennessee warbler sings in a forest so huge that it covers one third of the earth’s total forest area.
Brief Book Summary: This book is all about the Boreal Forest. It highlights the animals that live there and the elements of the forest.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Diane Foote (Booklist, Jul. 1, 2009 (Vol. 105, No. 21)) Starred Review* Gorgeously intricate illustrations perfectly complement equally evocative text in this introduction to the great northern, or boreal, forest, which sprawls across the entire northern hemisphere. Thinking green is a hot topic, and engaging resources about ecology are in demand. Any child interested in animals or the outdoors will be fascinated by the array portrayed here in a series of vignettes, each of which intersperses factual information with lively action scenes: Chawchaw! The beavers bite into wood. Crackle! Thwack! Trees tumble. The wintry palette of gold, white, brown, green, and spots of red draws readers into the forest environment, and the exquisite detail invites a closer look. Showing, rather than telling, how an ecosystem works is especially effective when the numbers of snowshoe hares grows so great their food supply of low-growing plants dwindles, moose nibble from high branches, and bits fall down that can feed a limited number of hares. Guiberson and Spirin manage to successfully convey the beauty and majesty of this forest and its denizens in two dimensions, and a list of organizations devoted to preserving the forest provides further information. An author s note adds urgency to the message about the importance of preservation. Grades 2-5
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Co. (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2009.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Susan M. Schlosser (Kutztown University Book Review, Spring 2010)
This book in its beauty may inspire readers to realize what is being taken from the earth. When first looking at the cover page I was excited to see in place of illustration was paintings. They, alone, may motivate a needed awareness for continuation of concern and response for theBoreal Forest s preservation. From reading this book, I believe I now know where my snow birds go in the spring. This is a marvelous book for the young and old in learning what wild animals need to exist, their distinct sounds and calls, how a pest to one is a feast for another and how important it is that the existence of evergreen trees is never ceased. Category: Non-Fiction.. 2009, Henry Holt & Company, $16.99. Ages 8 to 11.
(PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Co. (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2009.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The first review really captures all the elements in this book. The second review could add a bit more detail as to the specific vocabulary that is used in the book, since it really does add uniqueness. The second review is very broad and generalized, it could be a bit more specific.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: There are a lot of onomatopoeias in this book. Everything from “whoom” to “pitpatpat”, this literary element gives the book a lot of character. Another thing is repetition, not of words, but of the layout of the book. Each turn of the page brings a new animal to life and you get to learn about so many different animals in this book.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I think this book really showcases a good way to use onomatopoeias. We would go through the story and make a list of all the onomatopoeias the author used. Then, brainstorm more if we can think of them. Finally, the students will use our list to write their own story and include onomatopoeias.
March 10, 2014
This book is filled with detailed paintings that cover three-quarters of every two-page spread. This nonfiction book offers a story that reads like a narrative. The ecosystem of the Boreal forest—and topics like population control, commensalism, predator-prey interaction, seed dispersal, human deforestation—is explored through an entire year of seasons. This is a great book that is relatively short for non-fiction and its prose flows well, despite being so dense with information about the plants and animals of this unique habitat. In the end, the Author’s Note helps process the information in a more straightforward way. The author makes many connections to young readers and helps indicate what one might do to help the distant Biome, through informed consumerism and even support of migrating species in one's backyard. This is a good book that could be well used to illustrate the concepts of ecosystems and life-cycles, and predator-prey relationships. It could be a good read-aloud for older elementary students, or a good choice for independent reader at Grade 3 or above I’m guessing.
December 9, 2014
In the book Life in the Boreal Forest by Brenda Z. Guiberson, the endangered ecosystem is shown through beautiful pictures. It is a large and important rainforest that is brought to life in this book. The pictures are painted but they look so real. There are specific animals mentioned, their habitats and what they do. For example, it mentions beavers making their dams for the winter to survive the cold conditions. All the animals that live in the Boreal forest are mentioned so along with being a beautifully illustrated book, it is very informational.
This book fits into the non-fiction genre. It is a picture book. The reading level would be middle elementary (2-4). I would have students do a book report on this book. The theme of this book would be adaptations. This book would be good for any gender, race or socioeconomic status.
Guiberson, B., & Spirin, G. (2009). Life in the boreal forest. New York, NY: Henry Holt and.
This book fits into the non-fiction genre. It is a picture book. The reading level would be middle elementary (2-4). I would have students do a book report on this book. The theme of this book would be adaptations. This book would be good for any gender, race or socioeconomic status.
Guiberson, B., & Spirin, G. (2009). Life in the boreal forest. New York, NY: Henry Holt and.
April 11, 2014
Twin Text: Dinosaurs Go Green! A Guide to Protecting our Planet by: Laurie Brown and artist Marc Brown
Life in the Boreal Forest is about animals that live in the forest and what some of their struggles are. This book brings awareness to things that humans do that harm the forest and put these wild animals and plants in danger. I paired this nonfiction book with Dinosaurs Go Green because this fun book teaches children what they can do in order to save the environment. This can be connected to discussion about being in a community and a community member and what they can do to help. This is a fun activity because children can actually do the things they learn at home and that is exciting for them. I would have students pick one thing out of the book to draw that they think they want to do at home.
Life in the Boreal Forest is about animals that live in the forest and what some of their struggles are. This book brings awareness to things that humans do that harm the forest and put these wild animals and plants in danger. I paired this nonfiction book with Dinosaurs Go Green because this fun book teaches children what they can do in order to save the environment. This can be connected to discussion about being in a community and a community member and what they can do to help. This is a fun activity because children can actually do the things they learn at home and that is exciting for them. I would have students pick one thing out of the book to draw that they think they want to do at home.
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