Bloomin' Rainforests

by Anita Ganeri

Bloomin' Rainforrests takes children on a both fun and serious romp into jungles and the like (full of information and humour, it it sure to keep young readers both learning and also smiling).

Genres: Nonfiction, Geography, Science, Childrens, Humor, Nature, Middle Grade

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Anita Ganeri is a highly experienced author of children’s information books, specialising in religion, India/Asia, multiculturalism, geography, biography and natural history. She became a freelance writer after working at Walker Books (as foreign rights manager) and Usborne Publishing (as an editor). Since then, she has written over 300 titles, including the best-selling Horrible Geography series for Scholastic. The series won the Geographical Association Silver Award in 1999 and was cited as being ‘an innovation that all geographers will applaud’. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society where she conducts most of her research for the books.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The general information Anita Ganeri provides in Bloomin' Rainforests (and I have been reading the 2015 edition on Open Library), this is, this seems to be from what I personally have learned from my own non fiction reading pursuits and from what I was taught regarding rainforests both at school and equally so when I took a first year geography course at university mostly and decently factually correct (so that basically Bloomin' Rainforests shows and discusses for young readers from about the age of eight or so onwards what rainforests are, how they evolved, about rainforest flora, fauna and climate, concerning the many threats and dangers rainforests contain but equally so demonstrating how they are essential for the earth and that destroying them, that razing rainforests for large scale agricultural plantations, for massive logging, mining etc. is ignorance par excellence, is totally short-sighted and an environmental and also of course a meteorological disaster just waiting to happen).

However, I do have to point out that NOT all rainforests are tropical and Ganeri failing to even acknowledge temperate rainforests in Bloomin' Rainforests (such as for example appear in New Zealand, Western Europe and on the Northwest coast of Canada and the USA), for me, this is a huge and academically problematic oversight (especially in and for a a nonfiction book geared towards young readers, as Bloomin' Rainforests certainly reads as though only tropical areas of the world have rainforests and this is in fact and simply not really true). So while with Bloomin' Rainforests Anita Ganeri definitely and engagingly presents lots and lots of interesting and also correct rainforest themed facts, well, there not being anything about temperate rainforests included and no bibliographical information at all (and no websites either like is the case with many of the newer Horrible Geography books but sadly not with Bloomin' Rainforests), for me, this is a very major issue and also makes me not really all that keen on recommending Bloomin' Rainforests either (well at least not without some reservations and caveats).

And furthermore, I also do have two further bones of contention which cause me to rate Bloomin' Rainforests with only a two star rating, a rather high two stars to be sure, but not yet in any way enough for me to even remotely consider three stars. For one, first and foremost, I have found the humour Anita Ganeri uses in Bloomin' Rainforests for the most part annoyingly crass, too artificial, often actually leaving me feeling majorly uncomfortable when this tongue-in-cheek textuality and jocularity is juxtaposed with accounts of rainforest related devastation and destruction (not to mention that Ganeri's pretty much constant denigrations of geography teachers and of teachers in general throughout Bloomin' Rainforests and her often strangely nasty asides regarding rainforest plants and animals kind of make me cringe more than a trifle and shake my head). And for two, while Mike Phillips' black and white cartoons for Bloomin' Rainforests are adept, personally speaking, I have found them much too silly and caricature-like for my personal aesthetic tastes and also too visually unorganised and occasionally even a bit annoyingly confusing (and that I also would definitely prefer colour illustrations and some both archival and current rainforest themed and related photographs to be included in Bloomin' Rainforests). Thus while Bloomin' Rainforests is definitely educational and engagingly penned, I am indeed with regard to text and images quite bah humbug and that especially what the author, what Anita Ganeri thinks is humorous and is meant to lighten up Bloomin' Rainforests, well, this does not really work all that well for me (and actually, and truthfully not at all).

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great addition to the Horrible series-lovely gruesome descriptions and amusing quips as usual brings Geography to life for children.

[Alex Gunsean · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.8/10

Bloomin Rainforests is a horrible geography book written by Anita Ganeri. On the whole, horrible geography as a series is often overlooked next to horrible histories and even horrible science. However, a lot of the books still include the same humour and educational value. This one, focused around rainforests, an interesting topic, is a solid edition but could have still been better. The book starts off well giving general information about rainforests as a whole. However, once the book starts delving into the botanical and biological aspects of the rainforests with some pretty heavy facts, I began to lose some interest. Nevertheless, the book picks itself back up when it starts going into the different explorers stories and the climate change part was a nice finish. The book had some funny humour, as all these books do, however sometimes they almost seemed to forget and left a few pages of straight facts. Overall bloomin rainforests was an enjoyable read with some nice illustrations to go with the book, however doesn’t stand out too much compared to some other horrible geography books - and there is also maybe an overuse of the word bloomin.

[Mao Mao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rainforests always have the same weather. In the morning, it is sunny. But in the afternoon, clouds gather and there will be a thunderstorm. But don't worry about getting soaked. Rainforests have trees so tall and thick that they block the rain like an umbrella. They also block the sun.

[Liselotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the books that made me correct my biology teacher, which is never a good idea when you are 12 years old. :')

[Macy Savage · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was boring to me sorry it tries to hard to be funny and just isn't

[The Jesus Fandom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took the whole "teachers are boring" thing a bit far, but a fun and interesting read overall.

[Ruth Hartnup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting; a bit old-fashioned, written in the Beano style, with much use of the word Bloomin'. (I read an old secondhand edition so it may have been updated since.) Fun fact: sloths are disgusting.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing of particular but Nyerere herein, more Biology than Geography. Disappointing.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book interesting because it was funny and informative both at the same time and i learnt some stuff that i didn't know before i would recommend 7+

[Finley Fleet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t think this book was particularly interesting because all ready knew most of the facts. They tried to make it funny at the same time but it really wasn’t dry funny.

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It teaches you a lot of lessons but I didn’t learn much

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright I guess.

[Rachelle Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody hilarious and educational

[Harry Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good because it had loads of interesting facts

[Macy Savage · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh it was ok I think your trying to hard to make this funny but if your interested in moderate puns or a geography lover maybe give it a go

[Millie Chamley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 📖 book was actually really funny 😂 it wasn’t the kind of were u get bored 😑😴of it. It was the kind were u laugh 😂 literally every 5 minuets.

[Alfie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book as it's funny

[Emma Tattersall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will be glad to never read the word 'bloomin' again.

[Dion Yulianto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hutan rimba tropis bisa ditulis dengan bahasa dan materi semenarik ini, menyenangkan sekali membacanya.

[Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter loved this book and I learned new things about rainforests too.

[Tessie Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hustý pralesy ze série Děsivý zeměpis.Vtipně a přitom zajímavě napsaná kniha,která pomůže i jako třeba referát. ;)

[Nikita]

Rainforests are quite cool

[Mrs Reddy Mallender-Katzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Love this book it's awesome ! lol im 45 and reading kids books again YOU LEARN SO MUCH ! it was silly but fun :)

[Klara Woodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un'esilarante serie molto popolare tra i bambini Inglesi ed Americani, Horrible Geographies ed Horrible Histories propongono le più famose lezioni di Storia e Geografia in una buffissima chiave comica e, molto spesso, persino macabra! Questo libricino, in particolare, illustra i fatti più sorprendenti circa la foresta Amazzonica, dalle piante più inappropriate da regalare a qualcuno per il suo compleanno, agl'incidenti più strani  capitati agli esploratori dei secoli passati. Da spassosissime (e troppo spesso inquietanti) illustrazioni ai quiz più "pericolsi" che io abbia mai "affrontato", questa è stata senz'altro una delle letture più particolari della mia vita.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

not much in this one that was interesting

[Vera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Bloomin' Rainforests very inspiring. It is my favorate out of the whole 'horrible' range.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 3 out of 5]

392 - 2016

[Emily Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it because it gives you facts about the rainforests

[Imogen Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I leant lots of knew things in a funny way.