Jungle

Feeling bored with your day-to-day environment? A journey through a tropical rain forest could be the perfect "pick-me-up." And thanks to Jungle, you can visit the life-teeming tropics without ever leaving the comforts and conveniences of your own home. In Jungle, all manner of flora and fauna are explored--from the treetops to the forest floor--in Central American, South American, African, Tropical Asian, and Australasian rain forests. Vivid photographs with intriguing captions introduce readers to exotic places and creatures they've likely never heard of before. Meet, for example, the harpy eagle, the pygmy anteater, the shovel-nosed catfish, the spear-nosed bat, and the gaboon viper. Learn about the natural medicinal powers of many jungle plants. Discover the various foods, such as ginger, cocoa, sweet potato, and pineapple, which are sold around the world but have their origins in the rain forest. Topics covered include What Is a Rain Forest?, In the Water, Climbers, Seed Dispersal, Dusk to Dawn, Hidden Dangers, Nature's Architects, Medicines, Hunters and Killers, Disguise and Warning, Tricks and Traps, Jungle Produce, and Under Threat.

The text is factual but never dry; thorough without being too much to swallow. Kids will be fascinated by the animals and plants featured within the glossy, beautifully-designed pages, and adults may be tempted to wrestle the book from the hands of their children--just to get a closer look. Another winner in Knopf's excellent and informative Eyewitness Books series, Jungle reveals that if indeed it is a jungle out there, then "out there" is a pretty cool place to be. (Ages 8 and older)