SECRETS OF THE FOREST

A collection of brief stories featuring animals and plants living in forests around the world.

While many of the creatures included in this book might be familiar to readers—reindeer, elephants, penguins—the detailed yet digestible stories of each include fascinating facts and helpful blurbs that provide “the science behind the story.” In addition to these animals common to children’s books, Klepeis also includes the lesser-known margay, wood frog, and kauri tree. Some of the more remarkable facts include the wood frog’s incredible cold-weather survival skills such as freezing itself nearly solid. There’s also the baobab tree’s impressive storage skills—some 26,000 gallons of water! Because each story is only a few pages long, with balanced text and image, it’s very approachable for young readers who might only read one section at a time. Adam’s detailed illustrations work well with the text and provide plenty for readers to observe. One impressive image features the stunning aurora borealis casting its glow on the snowy forest. Klepeis manages to discuss both climate change and deforestation with a subtle hand while still clearly showing humans’ effects on animals and their fragile habitats. This book is full of information and illustrations that will appeal to readers of all ages and is sure to be revisited by readers often.

Quality narrative and a treasure trove of details and images.