From School Library Journal
Grade 2–6—Anna and Peter, a mother and son from Sweden, visit the Costa Rican rainforest called
El Bosque Eterno de los Niños (the BEN) and learn about its unique plants and animals. As they hike to various parts of the forest, Peter is surprised to discover that fundraising that led to the BEN's establishment began 20 years ago through the efforts of a second-grade class in Sweden. One of the children was his mom. Despite the amount of information conveyed in the narrative and conversations, the story doesn't seem contrived. Small cartoons of the people appear at the bottom corners of the large, colorful illustrations of various animals and forest landscapes. The central pictures are big enough for group sharing. Older readers can find out more about the individual plants and animals in the paragraphs contained in sidebars. A two-page explanation of the origins of the Children's Eternal Rainforest and photos of the area appear after the main text. Those who want to know more about the BEN's ecology and origins can find lots of photos and information in Dorothy Hinshaw Patent's
Children Save the Rain Forest (Dutton, 1996). Pratt-Serafini's book serves as a good introduction to the BEN itself and to children's conservation efforts.—
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
"Just like Alice's looking glass,
The Forever Forest transports to a magical world . . . No child should be without it." --
Thomas Lovejoy, Tropical Biologist and President of the Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment