Rain Forest Worlds

he Two-Can Discovery Guides series is a fantastic way to discover the worlds of history, nature and science. The book is filled with activities that challenge kids to try out ideas for themselves. Quiz questions encourage kids to look closely at each page, and this series is perfect for either home or school use.

Describes rainforests of South America, Asia, and Africa; the plant, animal, and human life they support; and efforts to protect these rich, endangered environments.

he Two-Can Discovery Guides series is a fantastic way to discover the worlds of history, nature and science. The book is filled with activities that challenge kids to try out ideas for themselves. Quiz questions encourage kids to look closely at each page, and this series is perfect for either home or school use.

Children's Literature

With an attempt to emphasize teaching over entertainment, this early research volume examines the tropical rain forests. It opens with a theory that suggests that one landmass split into the continents 200 million years ago and resulted in all of the rainforests running along the equator, although it does not identify the premise as speculation. The pages are packed with pockets of information, scattered and haphazardly placed in a mixture of photos, sketches and quizzes that test knowledge along the way. The information is a bit disjointed and the presentation is overwhelming. The photographs are visually stronger than the drawings but disappointing, considering the natural grandeur of the rainforests. The book may work better as car-trip entertainment than for classroom research. One of six titles in the "Two Can Discovery Guides" series meant to satisfy the curiosity of the intermediate elementary student. 2001, Two-Can Publishing, $9.95 and $5.95. Ages 8 to 11. Reviewer: Deborah Zink Roffino