Journey into the Rainforest - Softcover

Knight, Tim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195217519 ISBN 13: 9780195217513

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2001

Synopsis

The tropical rainforest is the home of millions of little known, exotic plants and animals. Unfortunately, many of them are threatened by extinction. Every year, an area of the rainforest the size of Britain is destroyed. Journey into the Rainforest is an adventurous but also educational foray into the heart of the wildest, least explored place on earth.
Tim Knight, a naturalist with a long experience in rainforest conservation, takes young readers on a tour of "the wonderful surprises and hidden secrets" of the rainforest. Paddling upstream in a canoe, taking a bumpy ride in the back of a truck, walking at night to avoid the heat, and flying above the tree-tops in a small plane, we explore the rainforest from its floor up to the canopy and beyond. Our entertaining and knowledgeable guide takes us into the depths of the rainforest, where we encounter egrets and iridescent butterflies, flash floods and mangrove swamps, a blue-banded kingfisher and a "six o'clock" cicada, as well as geckos, barking deer, luminous fungi, moths as big as dinner plates, pit vipers and scorpions, the nibung palm, orchids, termites, and more. We discover that tree canopies form an impenetrable umbrella and that a stick insect can become practically invisible. We learn how to find our way in the forest, how to tap liana stems for water, how animals and plants survive in the forest canopy, and a myriad more things we never imagined before.
The flora and fauna of the rainforest are captured in stunning wildlife photography, while lively, experienced authorial voice guides us on this tour of the "lungs of the planet". A glossary and index conclude the book. A real-life adventure and a hands-on educational tool, Journey into the Rainforest is a feast for the eye and the mind.

About this title

About the Author

Tim Knight has lived in the rainforests of South-East Asia, working on nature conservation projects. He regularly lectures in schools, leads youth expeditions and raises funds for the conservation of rainforest wildlife.

Review

"Stunning photographs and descriptive text place readers right in the heart of the rainforest for a memorable journey that will leave them wanting more....This text stands out in that it even describes the process of getting to the rainforest....Knight's descriptive text paints mental
pictures, and the photographs are breathtaking....This is much more than just the facts--it's engrossing storytelling."--Kirkus Reviews

"In this extraordinary book, Knight invites young readers to explore both the beauty and the importance of the rainforest....Explanations are clear and age-appropriate....Knight's love and respect for the rainforest are apparent on every page....The beauty and importance of the rainforest
speak for themselves, and this book brilliantly conveys both. It is hard to imagine how the book could be any better....Accessible and inviting to the youngest of readers. Middle school science teachers and librarians will love this book not only for its content but also for its format. It has a
useful glossary and is simply but thoroughly indexed."--VOYA

"The striking color photographs are enticing, and second-person narrative gives the text an appealing immediacy."--Booklist

"Color photographs on every spread help bring the text to life and serve as an album of the trip the book re-creates....Engaging."--School Library Journal

"This richly photographed book takes young explorers through the world's jungles, introducing htem to the animals, plants, and people that live there. Every page reveals a new jungle wonder, and youngsters learn the inner workings of rainforest life from forest floor to
canopy."--Animals

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0195217519
• ISBN 13: 9780195217513
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 48