Fire!: A Renewal of A Forest [Hardcover]

Celia Godkin (Author)

Book Description

Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction Honour Book, 2007

Silver Birch Express shortlist, 2008

Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice 2007 finalist

Canadian Science Writers' Association's Science in Society Journalism Award nominee, Youth Book category, 2007

It hasn't rained in the forest for many weeks. And in the sunny clearing, everything is dry and scorched. Then, late one afternoon, a hot wind begins to blow and storm clouds gather. But instead of rain, lightning fills the sky and strikes a tall tree beside the clearing. The lightning strike shoots down the tree and ignites the dry vegetation below. In no time, the forest is engulfed in flame. Soon there is nothing left but the charred ruins of the forest, devoid of life.

But the story is not over. Slowly and gradually, life returns to the forest - from the seeds that blow in on the wind and germinate - to the small creatures that have survived in their burrows below the ground. It will take many years; but eventually the forest will return, filled with life once more.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4–Godkin provides a basic introduction to the role of fire in forest ecology. She describes the conditions that lead up to the blaze that begins during a thunderstorm. Animals flee but return shortly after rain extinguishes the flames. Plants emerge from blackened soil to start a new forest cycle. The author identifies various animals and plants in small inset illustrations that appear on each spread. In many cases, viewers can spot these same animals or plants in the larger panorama, but sometimes the smaller illustrations provide a close-up view of something that can't otherwise be seen. The book concludes with two-page views of a wilderness forest landscape in various stages of growth and a detailed explanation of how various animals and plants contribute to forest recovery after a fire. Although the story stands alone for the youngest readers, older students will appreciate the additional information.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-3. Focusing on events in one location, this handsome volume presents the cycle of forest fires in words and pictures. On a hot day in a dry season, a lightning bolt strikes a tree, and soon a fire rages throughout the forest before dying out. Eventually seeds germinate, plants sprout, trees shoot up again, and animals return to the new forest, which grows up to resemble its predecessor. Years later, there comes another hot day in a dry season. Each double-page spread includes a broad, horizontal forest scene and a small circular picture of particular plants or animals tinted with watercolors. The larger illustrations are richly colored, surprisingly varied, and often handsome compositions showing the forest in various stages of its cycle. One double-page spread at the end of the book effectively contrasts the stages by showing old forest, a fire, charred remains, and new forest within one broad, mountainous landscape. An appended map of Canada and the U.S. indicates the area where fires occur as well as the regions that are too hot or dry for forests or too wet for forest fires. Clear, concise writing and vivid artwork make this a fine presentation on the subject. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside; 1 edition (September 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550418890
• ISBN-13: 978-1550418897
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,344,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Will Create A Burning Interest in How Fires Happen!, December 28, 2006

By 

Amy Graham (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fire!: A Renewal of A Forest (Hardcover)

Fire! The Renewal of a Forest bills itself as "an informational storybook" on the cover and I'd say that's just about the perfect description for this book. Aimed at kids from ages 4-8, the reader is taken on a brief journey from old forest growth (and what that entails); the cycle of life in the forest (trees and animals); what weather conditions have to be present for a fire to occur (dry & lightening); how the fire moves and spreads as well as what are some natural barriers to continued spread; and the cycle of re-growth and return of wildlife after the fire. Each page set contains a bit of text that explains fully the cycle from start to finish in simple (well written and easy to understand) language. Rather than having something different going on each page, the author gives a two page spread so the reader gets a full length panoramic spread of the forest with inset bubbles that showcase animals, conditions, and/or plants...kind of spotlighting specific parts of the forest and brining additional information to the reader to add to the text on the page. The illustrations are stunning and do a good job in evoking the feel of they type of forest (old growth, new growth, newly burned) in the text and there is even a two page spread at the end that illustrates the entire cyclical process which is very well done. At the end there is a short list of additional web resources for students and teachers to use in finding out more about forest fires (which my kiddies particularly liked).

Overall, this is an excellent start for young readers in understanding how and why forest fires (the natural variety) start, why they are necessary and even healthy for the forest and animals while down playing the threat to homes and people...there is the briefest mention of "most animals escaping" and of homes needing to be protected from forest fires or fires stared by people (only one mention in the entire book). The author stresses forest fires as a natural and necessary occurrence in a way that is very non-frightening to young readers. The artwork for the book is a perfect match to the text and was visually interesting from page to page with surprisingly little repetition. It was also nice that the inset bubbles echoed animals and plants in the larger panoramic double page view, this made for something extra the kids could look for and talk about while we read the book. I give it five stars, it's well done and an excellent book for readers ages 4-8, this would make a fine classroom book particularly in areas where forest fires are a yearly (or nearly yearly) occurrence.