The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest

Amazon.com

This beautifully illustrated and highly recommended book is widely used in primary schools in the U.S. to convince children of the importance of rain-forest conservation. Lynne Cherry visited the Amazon rain forest to gather drawings for the book, and the simple story and vivid illustrations capture the reality and lushness of the forest in a way she could not have by working from mere photographs.

Book Description

Exhausted from his labors, a man chopping down a great kapok tree in the Brazilian rain forest puts down his ax, and, as he sleeps, the animals who live in the tree plead with him not to destroy their world. "This modern fable with its urgent message contains an abundance of information."--The Horn Book

Customer Reviews:

Get Kids Interested in the Rain Forest.......2007-07-29

I used this book as an introduction to the Rain Forest for my 3rd graders and it got them interested in learning more. It is a great book as a lesson plan or in a classroom library. Kids seemed to read and reread this book more than any other.

Great Book about Animals In the Rainforest.......2006-11-10

Both my 4 year old boy and my 7 year old girl like this book and so do I. It's a great way to introduce them to many of the different types of animals you could find in a rainforest. Great pictures!

The true story of the rianforest.......2006-04-12

This book is truly inspiring for anyone that does not believe in saving the rainforests. The Great Kapok Tree really tells you from all the animals point of view on how the rianforest is their home. This timeless children's book is not just for little children it is for all to learn a lesson from what could become of the future or what people are destroying. In this book there is one man who is told to chop down this very big and old Kapok tree. He starts to wack and chop. After a little bit the man is worn out so he desides to just sit and rest for a little bit, but the sounds of the rainforest lulls him to sleep. One by one animals that depend on trees or have homes there come down and talk to the man whispering and telling of how the rainforest will soon destroy all life on earth because of the oxygen that the trees give us. When the man wakes up he now has a choice, he cqn listen to what the animals said or what the other bigger man told him to do... To find out read The Great Kapok Tree by: Lynne Cherry.

Treasures of Nature.......2006-02-27

For centuries, man has abused nature and thoughtlessly destroyed forests without realizing the harm this causes. Only recently has the importance of trees become apparent, brought to light by those who value the life that trees provide. Lynne Cherry is one of these people; her gorgeously illustrated book teaches the importance of trees and the abundance that they give to nature and its creatures.

In this book, a man is hired to chop down a Kapok tree, one of the largest and most important in the entire forest. After just a few chops, the heat of the forest and the exertion of his efforts tire him out and he lies down to sleep. One by one, the different creatures of the forest creep over to him and whisper in his ear the importance of the tree, asking him to spare it and leave it to those who need it. By the time he wakes, his decision and his view of the forest are altered forever. This book is beautifully put together, both with illustrations and a story that's simply but powerfully written.

I've loved trees all my life and this lovely story teaches children the importance of taking care of nature and animals. I really can't believe one person's snooty comment that nature preservation is "not the job of children". First of all, children will not be children forever; they are the future and it is our responsibility to teach them how to take care of the environment if we want them to be responsible adults. Second of all, children CAN make a difference! If you go to Lynne Cherry's website, you'll see that a kid's organization convinced Mcdonald's to recycle their paper products.

I also disagree with the silly statement that the book puts animals above people. What it does is remind us that if we don't take care of nature, there will be no tomorrow for future generations. Besides, one of the "creatures" of the forest who whispered to the man while he was sleeping was a Native American who needed the tree, so the message of the book would be to put others ahead of yourself. I personally think it's refreshing to write a book that gives animals a voice since they're so often overlooked. This book is highly recommended!

great for teaching a unit on the rainforest.......2006-01-17

I got this book for my son, but I also work in a kindergarten and this is a good tool for teaching young children about the rainforest.

Average customer rating:

A must read for the entire human race
Beyond Old Turtle
Excellent !
among the best
An Answer to an Age of Extremism

Old Turtle and the Broken Truth
Douglas Wood
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0439321093

Amazon.com

From the author of the award-winning legend of peace, Old Turtle, comes a soulful new tale about the wise old turtle who advocates listening to the "language of breezes...learning lessons from stones and animals and trees and stars." In this story, a truth falls from the stars, breaking in half when it lands. Crow, Fox, Coyote, and Raccoon, each pick up this piece of truth but discard it because of its rough edges and broken nature. But when a human being finds it, noting the words "You Are Loved" written on it, he and his people cherish it as their most important possession. Time passes, and jealousy, fear, and anger rise up in the people who hold this Great Truth, as well as in those who do not have it. The world begins to suffer. Finally, it's up to a little girl to seek understanding and a solution to the woes of the world.

Old Turtle and the Broken Truth's new age allegory is exquisitely wrought, in word and in picture. Douglas Wood's prose is the timeless language of fables, meshing perfectly with Jon Muth 's radiant watercolors for an experience anyone seven to one hundred and seven can appreciate. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

In this profoundly moving fable, the earth & all its creatures are suffering, for the people will not share their Truth, which gives them happiness & power, with those who are different from them. Then one brave Little Girl seeks the wisdom of the ancient Old Turtle, who sees that the people's Truth is not a whole truth, but broken. Old Turtle shows the girl the missing part of the Truth, & the Little Girl returns with it to her people. Then the pieces are brought together, and the broken Truth is made whole at last: YOU ARE LOVED...AND SO ARE THEY. Then the people & the earth are healed.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for the entire human race.......2007-07-05

After reading this book, and being completely swept away in the message, it is now the gift I give every child from birth to college age adult. The message is timeless and relevant to all. The writing is wonderful and the artwork excellent. It is a treasure.

Beyond Old Turtle.......2007-05-17

This is myth. This is eternal truth, moving, with beautiful airy illustrations. Wood has capitalized on his previous brilliant work of Old Turtle, and taken us one step further. Here we learn how to open themselves up to more of God than we know so far, and more than we have been taught. We learn to accept that of God in others, and the truth that others can bring. Wood takes us through a history of religion on this planet, and how much sadness has resulted because we forget what religion teaches. He reminds us of how we can find something of God in the nature around us. And I say us, because though this is obviously a children's book, and completely appropriate for children, it is also a book for adults, were adults can find great enlightenment, and great peace.

Some might read this book as a support of relativism and a condemnation of religions that claim to have the Truth. Far from it! It is rather a condemnation of those of any faith or no faith that believe that Truth can *only* be found in their faith or lack thereof, and aren't open to the idea of learning from others who are different than they. Indeed, there are strong parallels between Broken Truth and the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman. She sees her understanding of what is right as conflicting with that of Jesus and the Jews. Jesus takes her to another place, of spirit and truth, and, like the girl in Broken Truth, she runs off to tell the rest of her people, and in the process bringing reconciliation between her people and The Others. The greatest truth of all is that all are loved, but most esecially, those who are not us, and those who are our enemies.

Excellent ! .......2007-02-18

I am awed at the powerful simplicity that the author uses to convey a simple truth: we are all connected. The people of the world are connected in our humanity, but we are also connected to the wonders of the world; the falling stars, the trees, the oceans. In this story, Old Turtle returns to remind us that while it's true that "you are loved", this truth is only half of the story.

If every person in the world could take a cue from the author, we just might find ourselves living the life of peace that so many of us dream of.

among the best.......2007-01-11

The magic of a broken truth "you are loved" is so appealing that is easy to miss that its incomplete. Being set up as an "idol", an image of Truth, its problem is what it leaves out, that the entirety of truth cannot be put in words, cannot be defined.

"You are loved" is such a beautiful truth that its hard to imagine that it could be incomplete, that it could have anything wrong with it. The affect of completing this truth ("a" truth, not "the" truth) is startling. It illustrates how a beautiful piece of truth can be dangerous when believed to be the entire truth.

The watercolor illustrations are mysterious and beautiful. This is a core collection book on religious values for me. It illustrates the problem of idolatry, the assumption that God or Truth can be completely expressed in our physical world.

An Answer to an Age of Extremism.......2005-09-19

In an age of religious extremism, where every little group is convinced that it is the holder of the Truth, and every other group is mortally and sinfully wrong, this book presents an opportunity for discussion with your children. It does not answer what The Truth is (well maybe minimally). It discusses what it means to fervantly believe in a "broken truth" an incompete truth, that in the end puts you at odds with everyone else. It is an excellent lead in to the discussion of how it could be that human war over Truth (as if Truth needs assistance from Humans and guns).

Average customer rating:

Classroom Saver
The Forest Has Eyes
once again great!
The Forest Has Eyes is a wonderful story.
EXCELLENT: DOOLITTLE'S work is displayed Beautifully

The Forest Has Eyes
Bev Doolittle , and Elise MacLay
Manufacturer: The Greenwich Workshop Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0867130555

Book Description

Find hidden stories and pictures in these paintings of Native Americans and the western wilderness. Eighty-three thousand copies sold.

Customer Reviews:

Classroom Saver.......2006-11-06

I have this book available in my middle school classroom and the students love it. It is a favorite book among my students and it is always being used during free times: silent reading or those students who finish early. The artwork of Bev Doolittle is very beautiful, eye-cathing, and inspiring.

The Forest Has Eyes.......2005-10-10

Very interesting book. The art work is spectacular and the text just amplifies the presentation. This book lead me to purchase all five of Ms. Doolittle's books.

once again great!.......2002-11-20

Bev Doolittle books are a tremendous way to introduce kids to nature and all the wonderful things we share with animals, respect for all living things on earth and wildlife to be cherished.....

The Forest Has Eyes is a wonderful story........1999-04-09

This book is a wonderful experience in the moment of reading. But more importantly for me, it begins to help both children and adults learn how to "see" differently. That makes it a great introduction to the appreciation of art for children. In addition, the subject of the story is very enriching and helps to develop a connection to nature. No small feat in todays technological/video environment.

EXCELLENT: DOOLITTLE'S work is displayed Beautifully.......1998-09-16

This book gives you a collection of Doolittle's work that makes a GREAT conversation piece. It shows her work and displays a story with each piece. A must have for all lovers of Bev's work

Average customer rating:

This is a terrific book to read and talk about!
Wonderful...but exercise caution
Beautiful story with a valuable life lesson
a loving fan
It's about hope!

The Mountain That Loved a Bird
Alice McLerran
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689833199

Book Description

"I am Joy, and I have come to qreet you."

A beautiful bird named Joy stops one day to visit a mountain. Every spring she flies high in the air, looking for the best place to build her nest and raise her children. As much as Joy would like to stay with the mountain, she must leave to continue her search. After hearing the mountain's pleas for her to stay, Joy is so touched she makes a very special promise that each spring the mountain will be visited by one of her kin. Over time the birds bring about a wonderful change in the mountain -- a change that will transform the mountain forever.

Customer Reviews:

This is a terrific book to read and talk about!.......2007-05-24

My son and I were talking about this book today. It is about love and it's about pain and it's about how tears melt us and make us soft enough to be open to love. It always makes me cry--not because the bird dies but because the mountain is so touched it gushes a stream. It's a great book for people of any age! We are all like the mountain at different points in life. I'm a teacher so I also look at this book as a great entre for teaching how the earth changes and about the interaction between the land and animals. I've read this book to both my sons (who are now 10 and 14) many, many times and I've also read it to plenty of students. It's a beautiful book.

Wonderful...but exercise caution.......2007-05-19

This was a wonderful story as most reviewers have stated. It is a book choice on our pre-schools Raising a Reader program. It did, however, upset my [...] to the point of tears when the bird dies. She referred to it as the "dying" book every time she saw it. I heard similar comments from other parents at pre-school as well.

Beautiful story with a valuable life lesson.......2006-07-29

I bought this book because of the title as a gift for a neighbor child who enjoys watching birds at the feeder between our houses. When it arrived from Amazon, I read through it to ensure it was the right kind of book to give as a gift. It was moving and beautiful. Having recently lost my father, the message of loss and acceptance was bittersweet and definitely drew my tears, making me wonder if it would be an inappropriate gift. But reading this as a child could be the kind of early preparation that could make it easier for people to accept great loss (as well as smaller disappointments) later in life. I remember gaining that kind of value as a child from books like "The Velveteen Rabbit." If that kind of message is something you'd like to expose your kids to gently, this is a wonderful book for that purpose.

More than that, though, it's beautifully illustrated, and the repetition within the story seems like a comforting device for many children.

a loving fan.......2004-08-26

This wonderful book is not well known. I found it by accident and fell in love with it. To this day it still makes me cry. More children should be read this story. It is a beautiful story of hope and love. The hope that you will find love. It is great reading and has wonderful illustrations.
The book is more advanced and younger children may have a hard time reading it. But if ever you get the chance to read it to your children, I highly reccommend you do so. Alice McLerran is a fantastic storyteller, who makes the characters come to life.

It's about hope!.......2003-06-09

I found this book again while cleaning my daughter's room; I found it years ago and it is such a wonderful and uplifting story. Perhaps it was more than serendipity that I found it again, for it seemed the perfect message to send to an adult friend who needed some TLC -- for its main message, to my mind, is one of hope, and of believing in the power of love.

Average customer rating:

Meaningful picture book!
This one will stay with you for a long, long time...
A fantastic book for everyone
Beautiful illustrations, touching story
Wonderful illustrations, haunting story

The Prince of Butterflies
Bruce Coville
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152014543

Book Description

One summer morning, a flock of butterflies alights on John Farrington's house and changes his life forever. Surrounding John in his yard, the monarchs ask for his help. They have lost their way. The green places are gone--the meadows have become mini-malls; the forests are now parking lots. Can John lead them to another refuge?
Passionate, moving, and inspiring, this glorious flight of fantasy from master storyteller Bruce Coville is a timely fable about the difficulties--and the rewards--of staying true to one’s heart.

Customer Reviews:

Meaningful picture book!.......2005-04-22

This is one of the most meaningful picture books I have read in a long time. The message is so important for children if our environment is to survive many more generations. My students have sat spellbound as I read this book out loud to them. The discussions afterward are incredible. This book is a must for all school, classroom, and home libraries.

This one will stay with you for a long, long time..........2002-07-17

One of the most evocative children's books I've seen in years. The art is simply spellbinding---and the ending will touch all but the hardest of hearts. An unusual picture book in that it creates some real narrative and emotional tension along the way before winding up to a wonderful finish. My kids were leaning forward in anticipation.
A must for any Monarch lover.

A fantastic book for everyone.......2002-05-01

A wonderful book! The highly original story works seamlessly with the astoundingly beautiful paintings to create a very powerful reading experience. It is a magical tale combined with an effective message about the real plight of the Monarchs.
Everyone I show this book to loves it; all are inevitably moved both by the story and the gorgeous illustrations.
The Prince of Butterflies is a very uplifting book that all ages can appreciate, and I think it's destined to be a classic.

Beautiful illustrations, touching story.......2002-04-05

John Clapp's illustrations are magnificent, and enhance a touching and moving story. The whole package is something to treasure forever. It is one of those books that children will remember fondly, and share with their own families in the future.

Wonderful illustrations, haunting story.......2002-03-16

Story and illustrations fit together perfectly. After just one reading your child will remember both for the rest of their life but will want to return to the book over and over...

Flower Fairies of the Trees (Serendipity Books)

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An Enchanting Pictorial of Common Trees

Flower Fairies of the Trees (Serendipity Books)
Cicely Mary Barker
Manufacturer: Warne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0723248338

Book Description

Frederick Warne is pleased to announce brand-new editions of the 8 classic Flower Fairies titles, with all of Barker's original artwork and poetry included. These works offer a nostalgic look into the Romantic Age, each illustration suggesting that beyond the natural world so truthfully depicted in Barker's paintings there might co-exist another, just barely visible, world of the fairies.

These four titles (Flower Fairies of the Trees, Flower Fairies of the Garden, Flower Fairies of the Wayside, and A Flower Fairy Alphabet) complete the original collection of Barker's Flower Fairies books. Each book features Barker's poems and full-color illustrations of at least 19 different Flower Fairies.

Customer Reviews:

An Enchanting Pictorial of Common Trees.......2000-04-13

Cicely Mary Barker's illustrations are botanically accuratedepictions of tree leaves, stems and flowers, but the crowningachievement is the fairy showcased in each. Each illustration is accompanied by a delightful poem that invites the reader to enjoy the beauty and wonder of nature.

Book Description

Every year Matthew climbs the hill to his grandmother’s meadow. There, a red-tailed hawk teaches him to open his senses to the natural world. With poetic language and stunning pictures, this is an important fable for our times.

Flower Fairies of the Wayside (Serendipity Books)

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Flower Fairies of the Wayside: Poems and Pictures

Flower Fairies of the Wayside (Serendipity Books)
Cicely Mary Barker
Manufacturer: Warne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0723248303

Customer Reviews:

Flower Fairies of the Wayside: Poems and Pictures.......2000-03-31

This is a beautifully illustrated book of fairies andtheflowers that they represent. The watercolors are detailed, andbotanically correct, and the inerpretation of the fairies is a creative and unique way of getting people of all ages interested in flowers and gardening.

Amazon.com

One night, as a little boy goes to sleep clutching his pajama-case dog, he drifts off into an elaborate, imaginative journey by train. But what's this? One endangered animal after another--an elephant, a seal, a tiger--tries to join the boy and his dog on their global junket.

"Please let me ride on your train. I live in the frozen North and somebody wants my fur to make a coat out of, and soon there will be none of us left," says the polar bear.

At first the boy and his dog are reluctant to let the animals on the train--"Hey! Get off our train!" they shout--but as each critter explains its particular plight, they welcome it on board. Children will learn about the perils facing animals around the world--tusk taking, pollution, marsh draining, deforestation--but they'll also be happy to see the boy and his dog rescuing the animals one by one. John Burningham has a knack for keeping the mood playful while communicating a strong environmental message. With his strikingly original illustrations and gently rhythmic text, this highly acclaimed author- illustrator well deserves his Parents' Choice Award for this unusual book. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by John Burningham. With permission of Crown Publishers, Inc.) (Ages 4 and older)

Book Description

Illus. in full color.

An IRA Children's Choice
A Parents' Choice Award winner for illustration
A California Children's Book Award winner

Customer Reviews:

My child's absolute hands-down favorite.......2007-06-13

My daughter loves this book. It captivates her imagination in a way no other book does. She asks for it by author, in fact.

"John Burningham book, mommy?"

I know that part of what she loves is the mild naughtiness of yelling out, "Hey! Get off my train!" Something she'd never be allowed to do in life. She knows the sequence of the weather and how they connect with what's going to be imagined for play by heart. Honestly, it's hard to convey what "foggy" is unless you happen to have some of it, and in upstate NY it's mostly foggy in the very early morning, or late night, but this book finally got the idea across. She never takes any notice of what people hunting or clear cutting or anything like that means, and I don't undertake to explain it. That part, for us, is just the reasonthe animals want to get on the train. Hitchcock had a word for this kind of plot mechanism: the MacGuffin. The thing everyone talks about that the reader doesn't care about, but gives everyone in the story the impetus be doing their thing.

Anyways, one day we were on the Erie canal and we saw a crane, and my little 3 year old says to me, "Look mommy, a crane!" And I knew exactly where she recognized it from, because it's not as if cranes live in our backyard, so that says something about how wonderful the illustrations are. And I do absolutely love how the little boy conveys so much meaning with so few words. "Don't make too much noise with the shovel," is all he says, but instantly you're cast as a co-conspirator, sneaking out on a grand adventure to who knows where.

I understand the other posters negative comments about the environmentalism nonsense and the rude mother, but it is a book meant for children, not parents, and after all, we are right there to talk about how out-of-it the mother is by the child's standards. Parents do talk to their children in that way. It serves as a reminder to me that sometimes I exasperate my child as much as she does me, and there can't be any harm in that.

Not so appropriate for a preschooler/kindergartener (illustrations are good though).......2006-10-23

My kindergartener brought this book home from the library - his very first book to bring home. He was so excited! The illustrations are fantastic - I know that is why he chose it.
The story is about a little boy who goes to sleep, and dreams about endangered species wanting to come and ride his train with him, to escape dying (basically!). The elephant talks about having his tusks cut off, the polar bear about having his fur used for fur, the tiger about the forest being chopped down, and so on...it is a very depressing book. I believe there are other ways to teach children about how to be good to the environment, and nature, rather than laying all this on them - they can not do anything about it at this young age!

I do not recommend this book. It was a waste of time.

Mom of three under the age of 5!!

My son still asks for this book.......2005-12-02

I checked this book out of the library for my 2 1/2-year old son for 2 weeks. He brought this book to me and asked me to read it to him ALL THE TIME. At the end of the 2 weeks, I renewed it for another 2 before returning it. While it may not be MY favorite children's book, it certainly is his, and shouldn't that be what matters to us moms? I am planning to give him this book for Christmas since he still asks for the "train book" everyday. If he hears me say "hey" he instantly squeals "Get off our train!" Obviously this book left a lasting impression on him and that's more important to me than whether the illustrations should or should have not won the Parents' Choice Award.

Fun Message: Animals Are Our Friends.......2003-08-08

HEY! GET OFF OUR TRAIN is a fun book for children. The book may appear somewhat dark to adults; but that is possibly because we're torn over how to treat endangered species. From the child's point of view, this is a book about a boy who takes a magical train ride with rare and unusual animals. It's fun; it's exciting! It shows a boy who makes room on his train for all of the animals who ask for his help. Because the train looks like his toy train, there is a hint that the train ride may exist only in his imagination. But, in the end, it seems that his nighttime train ride was real. This is great fun for children!

Awful........2003-01-30

First the good news. The art is beautiful. This is a lovely book. If it had no words, I would recommend it enthusiastically.

However...

On the first and last pages, the mother is rude. In the rest of the book, you can see that her son has been paying attention, because he is rude.

And then you get the politically correct dreck. "'I live in the frozen North and somebody wants my fur to make a coat out of, and soon there will be none of us left,' says the polar bear." Um, was my five year old considering buying a polar bear fur coat? No? Then how is this frightening scenario useful to him? It isn't. It's propaganda. It is the least subtle propoganda aimed at small children that I've ever read.

Book Description

Based on true events in northern India, this is the story of a little girl's bravery. One day, Aani hears the roaring of the tree cutters. Hoping to get the workers to put down their saws and hatchets, Aani and the village women explain that the trees provide food, fuel, and homes for animals, but to no avail. Finally, Aani wraps her body around one of the trees, with surprising results. Distinctive color illustrations, inspired by Indian miniature painting, accompany the moving story.

Customer Reviews:

Tree huggers of the world, unite!.......2000-03-27

This book is a plea for an ecological consciousness in regard to the forest. India has its share of tree rustlers, in spite of strict laws, and much irreparable damage is done by irresponsible felling. This story is well written for younger people with good illustrations. It is the story of a girl's fight to save the trees of her village from tree-cutters, and illustrates her and the village's feeling of reverence for the trees upon which they depended. It does represent one aspect of Indian culture (unfortunately, the tree cutters are another aspect) and can well be used as an introduction to village life; it is also interesting from the point of view of the exotic. My own love of the exotic has led me to many places around the world, and I feel that this sense of wonder about the world is a valuable characteristic and very much worth nourishing; this kind of book can encourage dreams.

The incident described, although fictional, is very reminiscent of an actual event that took place in the State of Rajasthan. The Maharaja needed wood for a building project, and sent his men to cut in a forest near a village. The people, who venerated their trees as the suppliers of many things necessary for their lives, literally hugged the trees. Several hundred villagers were killed before the Maharaja's men stopped. The trees, or their descendants, still stand as a testimony to the interdependence of the people and their environment. The villagersare also well-known for providing a refuge for both a kind of antelope and for birds, and for their reluctance to kill anything. Note: the paper and binding are excellent quality. My only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that the tale should have taken place in the desert, where trees are both more valued and more endangered.

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