Tree of Wonder: The Many Marvelous Lives of a Rainforest Tree

K-Gr 3—This enlightening picture book introduces readers to the almendro tree, a native of the rain forest in Latin America and host to more than a thousand organisms. The endpapers show silhouettes of the 10 animals (including the great green macaw, the rusty wandering spider, and the blue morpho butterfly) that will be introduced, providing a preview of the material to come. Each spread contains a short paragraph of text about the featured animal and a sidebar that offers more specific information. Small silhouettes of each creature are included with each entry, which double in number as the book goes on (eight howler monkeys are followed by 16 fruit bats and so on), underscoring just how many creatures live in this single tree. The lush, rich acrylic and pencil illustrations provide additional material by showing different views of the tree and its resident animals—a view from a nest inside the tree, close-ups among the leaves and branches, and a look at the roots and ground surrounding the tree. The main text is descriptive and poetic, complementing the more straightforward, factual writing of the sidebars.