Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3-6. As with the author's previous nature close-ups, this forest tour is designed to sharpen viewers' powers of observation as well as provide help in identifying many kinds of common insects and other small creatures. Bishop offers unlabeled, full-bleed photo collages teeming with life, followed by spreads of visually keyed captions. Assembled from approximately 60 digitally combined and corrected photographs, each of the seven close-up tableaux highlights one level of a deciduous North American woodland in a different season. Unaccountably, Bishop tones down his accompanying notes, so that, for instance, tree damage from gypsy moth caterpillars doesn't happen very often, and all the wasps he mentions lay eggs near rather than on or in chosen prey. But he does a good job of introducing a number of insects, birds, and mammals that children are apt to see during a walk in the woods, appends suggestions for developing a nature journal, and provides a quick-reference visual index. Both budding naturalists and fans of Walter Wick's I Spy series will linger over this spectacular woodland foray. --John Peters Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Forest Explorer: A Life-Size Field Guide by Nic Bishop uses actual-size photographs of forest-dwelling insects, mammals, reptiles and more to teach aspiring scientists about this accessible habitat. The forest's realm unfolds through the year and the book includes the eating habits and life cycles of its many animals (neatly catalogued in a photographic index). Bishop also includes projects for nature lovers, which animals to look for in different seasons and precautions to take when exploring. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-With this beautiful and engrossing photographic guide, Bishop creates another exciting study of natural history that will make children sit up, take notice, and wonder. Focusing on deciduous forests, the book consists of brief chapters that showcase life in the understory, the treetops, and at the edge of the woods. Other sections cover "Waking in Spring," nocturnal creatures, "The Fall," and "Winter Survivors." Each chapter opens with a stunning photographic spread that is crammed with pictures of animals, plants, and insects-all life-sized except when they are highlighted by a magnifying glass. Each scene is followed by a two-page description of the denizens of that location. Only a snippet of information about each animal is provided. A list of hints for forest exploration, a segment that points out things to observe in a tri-monthly rotation, and a wonderful picture index are appended. Though not useful for fieldwork or research, this title's eye-catching visuals and oversized format are great for firing enthusiasm and encouraging browsing. Extend the reading experience with Jim Arnosky's "Crinkleroot" series (S & S) and "All About" series (Scholastic), and Robert Sabuda's "The Young Naturalist's Pop-Up Handbooks" (Hyperion).-Dona Ratterree, New York City Public Schools (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In the same format as his Backyard Detective, Bishop uses photographic montage to depict a deciduous forest and its inhabitants. Flip the page from the stunning visual to find the streaming field notes running over the spread. Organized by season, layers of the forest, and life after dark, the book is visually alluring, but the merits of the book as a guide are slight. Ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
