After a fire, you might think a burned area is as barren and lifeless as the moon. But take a closer look and you'll find that even before the last wisps of smoke have cleared, the newly burned forest is already teeming with life. Many plants and animals find fertile ground here to grow, eat, and have offspring; some species are dependent on fire and cannot thrive or reproduce without it. Unlike most books, which concentrate on the fire itself, The Charcoal Forest explores the new habitat created by the fire. Focusing on the Northern Rocky Mountains of the United States and Canada, the book describes twenty species of animals and plants that contribute to the reclamation and renewal of the charcoal forest. Why do some beetles fly toward a fire? Why will you almost never see a black-backed woodpecker outside of burned areas? How do fires help grow yummy treats like huckleberries and morel mushrooms? Kids and adults will delight in discovering the answers to these and other burning questions-and don't forget to find the black-backed woodpecker in the picture!
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At first glance the ashen landscape left by a forest fire may appear bereft of life. The Charcoal Forest proves otherwise. One by one, Beth A. Peluso describes the animals and plants found in the northern Rocky Mountains that have adapted to the aftermath of forest fires. Right after a high severity fire, the forest looks like a big charcoal drawing, she writes. But look closer: Beetles feast on the dead wood left by fire, birds dart around gobbling beetles, and plants rush to reclaim newly cleared ground. Peluso explains that regular blazes are actually essential for many creatures, including the golden blanketflower, which blooms radiantly against a dark tree line, and the black fire beetle, which lays its eggs beneath charred bark. Acrylic illustrations attest to fire s vitality. A glossary, index, and list of resources will guide kids who want to learn more about these fierce yet fruitful flames. --Audubon Magazine March/April 2008
About the Author
Beth A. Peluso received her BA in English with a minor in art. She has an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana with an emphasis in natural history writing and illustration. She has worked as an editor, taught young children, and done scientific illustration. This is her first children's book.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A final section offers more fun facts about the forest species featured,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Charcoal Forest: How Fire Helps Animals & Plants (Paperback)
Written by avid birder, day camp counselor, and substitute teacher Beth A. Peluso, The Charcoal Forest: How Fire Helps Animals and Plants is an educational softcover picturebook about the ecology of fire in the Rocky Mountains, and plants and animals that actually depend upon fire to survive. From the black-backed woodpecker that depends on the beetle larvae in burned tree trunks (there's a woodpecker in every beautiful color picture!) to the deer mouse that feasts on seeds exposed by fire, to plants like the huckleberry bush that need space cleared so they can receive more light, and many more, The Charcoal Forest offers an amazing glimpse into species that thrive in the wake of regular or sporadic forest fires. A final section offers more fun facts about the forest species featured, a glossary, an index, and a list of resources that young readers can look up to learn more. Highly recommended, especially for elementary school and public library children's collections.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Charcoal Forrest,
This review is from: The Charcoal Forest: How Fire Helps Animals & Plants (Paperback)
Beth Peluso has written an informative and engaging book for children about how forests recover from fires. It is amazing how many plants and animals actually need fire. Additionally, her illustrations are superb, depicting wildlife from fascinating angles and perspectives. I highly recommend "The Charcoal Forest."
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Informative and Fun,
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This review is from: The Charcoal Forest: How Fire Helps Animals & Plants (Paperback)
What a GREAT book! The nature of this book has been needed for a long time. The Charcoal Forest addresses the need for an understanding of the benefits of fires in our landscape in a wonderfully drawn, interactive way for all ages including adults. Our current mentality of stopping fires lessens the benefits the birds, bugs, and other plants obtains from the ashes of a forest fire. A book which encourages thoughtful ideas about how nature recovers from devastating events.
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