The Rainforest Grew All Around

I saw the artist Connie McLennan's work online and heard about this book from her website. It is a beautiful book! The writing is perfect for a beginning reader as well. It's a nice story. I bought it for my granddaughter who is a budding artist- I thought she would love the pictures as much as I do!

Susan K Mitchel has written a wonderful book about the rain forest that is suitable for many different age groups. Younger children will love the familiarity of the text, more advanced readers will enjoy reading the sidebars full of interesting facts about the rain forest. Everyone young and old will enjoy the beautiful illustrations. A very appealing read! A great choice for the elementary classroom.

Beautifully written by Susan K. Mitchell and superbly illustrated by Connie McLennan, "The Rainforest Grew All Around" is an ideal introduction to rainforest ecology and eco-systems for elementary school and middle school students. Young readers will learn amazing facts about a variety of animals and plants native to rainforest habitats. Kids will enjoy looking for rainforest bugs and butterflies nicely embedded in the detailed and complex illustrations. The text is enriched by the inclusion of 'Animal Sidebar Fun Facts' and 'Plant Sidebar Fun Facts'. Kids will learn abut rainforest animal adaptations, plant adaptations, seed dispersal, as well as what can be obtained from rain forests. There is even a rainforest cookie recipe! A special note for parents and teachers is the Sylvan Dell Publishing website's learning links and teaching activities associated with utilizing "The Rainforest Grew All Around" as an educational resource. As fun as it is informative, "The Rainforest Grew All Around" is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to family, school, and community library Nature Studies and picturebook collections.

The Rainforest Grew All Around Yum, a rainforest cookie recipe, informative sidebars, and luscious illustrations, make this lovely book a keeper! The text by author Susan K. Mitchell is a cumulative rhyme that takes the reader through life in the rainforest from giant trees to tiny insects and frogs. It highlights both plants and animals. Connie McLennan's illustrations are both rich and informative. Children will enjoy the variations of subject and texture in the paintings, perhaps discovering small plants and insects not mentioned in the text. The book is a marvelous blend of text and illustration. Besides the recipe there are two matching games at the back. The verse is adapted from the old English cumulative folk song, "The Tree In The Wood." Children ages 3 to 7 will delight in this book, which will be enjoyed for years to come in both home and classroom libraries.

Sylvan Dell Publishing has provided yet another great educational tool with The Rainforest Grew All Around by Susan K. Mitchell, illustrated by Connie McLennan. The main text of this colorful children's book tells the cycle of creation of a rainforest, from seed to seed. This part of the story is meant to be sung to the tune of "The Green Grass Grows All Around." Colorful illustrations of different aspects of rainforest life highlight each verse. In addition, the main text is bordered with sidebars full of more in-depth information about the rainforest features each verse introduces. As in all Sylvan Dell books, the story is followed up with engaging activities. There are several matching games, thoughtful questions, and a recipe for Rainforest Cookies. The activity pages can be downloaded from the Sylvan Dell website for easy use. The Rainforest Grew All Around can be a springboard for discussion with children about other life cycles and ecosystems, as it will inevitably pique their interest. The author, Susan K. Mitchell, is a preschool teacher inspired to write the story by her class's reaction to the "Green Grass" song. She is the author of Stone Pizza, a modern take on the Stone Soup tale and Kersplatypus, a future Sylvan Dell release. Connie McLennan created the beautiful illustrations in the picture book, and has illustrated various other Sylvan Dell releases, including Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean and Octavia and Her Purple Ink Cloud. Armchair Interviews says: Colorful and engaging--intended for children ages four to eight.