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The Great Kapok Tree
The author and artist Lynne Cherry journeyed deep into the rain forests of Brazil to write and illustrate her gorgeous picture book The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest (1990). One day, a man exhausts himself trying to chop down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forest’s residents, including a child from the Yanomamo tribe, whisper in his ear about the importance of trees and how "all living things depend on one another" . . . and it works. Cherry’s lovingly rendered colored pencil and watercolor drawings of all the "wondrous and rare animals" evoke the lush rain forests, as well as stunning world maps bordered by tree porcupines, emerald tree boas, and dozens more fascinating creatures.
Awards: IRA Teacher’s Choice (1991), ABA’s Pick of the Lists, Reading Rainbow Review Book, NSTA-CBC Outstanding Trade Book for Children
Awards: IRA Teacher’s Choice (1991), ABA’s Pick of the Lists, Reading Rainbow Review Book, NSTA-CBC Outstanding Trade Book for Children
40 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 1990
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1739 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 328 reviews
January 21, 2009
Okay, first let me say that this is a lovely book--the writing style is simple but touching, the artwork is great--realistic yet still "artsy" (I love the inside-cover spread with the map of the world, showing the rain forest areas, and then a border of rain forest fauna). Also, I am all for the message of conservation--this one wasn't too heavy-handed, but still will help raise children's awareness that it is important to preserve nature.
This book still rather annoyed me, though, following a bit too close to one of the lines that I find extremely afrustrating in much of the conservation literature, etc. Namely, that the "Bad Guy" is the one who cuts down the trees (or hunts the wildlife, or...)and--that's it! rather than going the extra distance to show that, well, WHY is he cutting down the trees!? It's not just for fun. Is it that he is greedy? Well, perhaps. Or perhaps he is simply trying to provide for his family who might otherwise starve as native ways of life fade and industrialism creeps into all corners of the globe. And, further, would he be cutting down the trees if there was not a market for the wood or land--perhaps we should look deeper, to someone else down the line, all the way down the line, to the end-consumer??? These books do not reach far enough!!! Now, I'm not saying that I don't buy new things--I'm certainly not as "green" as I want to be--but I do try to be aware of how much I'm buying, from where, and what the impact may be if I'm not sometimes buying used or buying from sustainable sources. I think that environmental-message books for kids do a disservice to them if they simply stop at showing a South American man (dressed in "Western" clothes) attempting to chop down a Kapok tree... Make the children aware of their place in all this (or, at least, their parents' place) and this will give them also a greater sense of empowerment. I mean, as a kid I always though, well, gosh, OF COURSE I want to save the whales, of course I wouldn't cut down trees, of course I wouldn't hunt elephants! But, I didn't really realize how I could do anything about it until I started to talk it over with my parents.
Sorry for the tangent, but I just hope there are more environmental-message books out there that will involve children!!! If any of you have suggestions, let me know.
This book still rather annoyed me, though, following a bit too close to one of the lines that I find extremely afrustrating in much of the conservation literature, etc. Namely, that the "Bad Guy" is the one who cuts down the trees (or hunts the wildlife, or...)and--that's it! rather than going the extra distance to show that, well, WHY is he cutting down the trees!? It's not just for fun. Is it that he is greedy? Well, perhaps. Or perhaps he is simply trying to provide for his family who might otherwise starve as native ways of life fade and industrialism creeps into all corners of the globe. And, further, would he be cutting down the trees if there was not a market for the wood or land--perhaps we should look deeper, to someone else down the line, all the way down the line, to the end-consumer??? These books do not reach far enough!!! Now, I'm not saying that I don't buy new things--I'm certainly not as "green" as I want to be--but I do try to be aware of how much I'm buying, from where, and what the impact may be if I'm not sometimes buying used or buying from sustainable sources. I think that environmental-message books for kids do a disservice to them if they simply stop at showing a South American man (dressed in "Western" clothes) attempting to chop down a Kapok tree... Make the children aware of their place in all this (or, at least, their parents' place) and this will give them also a greater sense of empowerment. I mean, as a kid I always though, well, gosh, OF COURSE I want to save the whales, of course I wouldn't cut down trees, of course I wouldn't hunt elephants! But, I didn't really realize how I could do anything about it until I started to talk it over with my parents.
Sorry for the tangent, but I just hope there are more environmental-message books out there that will involve children!!! If any of you have suggestions, let me know.
October 7, 2025
Another free read from The Internet Archive.
A beautiful book with an important message.
A beautiful book with an important message.
March 2, 2017
The Great Kapok Tree, by Lynne Cherry. Published by Sandpiper in 1990. Guided reading: R; Lexile 670L. This could be used to study 2nd – 5th grade. 40 pages.
It’s a fictional story (based on realistic themes) in which a man enters the rainforest with the intent of chopping down the Great Kapok Tree, which is home to many of the animals who live there. Tired, he takes a nap, and many of the native creates – including a boy from the Yanomamo tribe, talk to him in his sleep about the importance of the tree and attempt to persuade him to stop. He wakes up and has a change of heart.
It’s a simple, but powerful read and I love this book! I would use it as part of a rainforest, environmentalism or author’s purpose – persuasion thematic unit. It really is versatile and could be used for various reasons. We could use it to study geography and culture (related to South America,) as well as animal’s habitats and biomes. This could lead to further research on additional plants and animals as well. We’d also explore topics such as recycling and going “green” in an attempt to help save the planet and talk about the importance of the rainforest and flora and fauna around us. It would culminate in writing a persuasive piece, as the students attempt to argue a point using evidence. It’s also good for discussing point of view as we can identify Cherry’s POV on the environment and what strategies/ techniques she uses to display her voice. We could study additional texts, including nonfiction, as well to round out the unit. The book could be turned into a play if time allowed.
3.RL.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
3.RL.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story
3.W.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons
It’s a fictional story (based on realistic themes) in which a man enters the rainforest with the intent of chopping down the Great Kapok Tree, which is home to many of the animals who live there. Tired, he takes a nap, and many of the native creates – including a boy from the Yanomamo tribe, talk to him in his sleep about the importance of the tree and attempt to persuade him to stop. He wakes up and has a change of heart.
It’s a simple, but powerful read and I love this book! I would use it as part of a rainforest, environmentalism or author’s purpose – persuasion thematic unit. It really is versatile and could be used for various reasons. We could use it to study geography and culture (related to South America,) as well as animal’s habitats and biomes. This could lead to further research on additional plants and animals as well. We’d also explore topics such as recycling and going “green” in an attempt to help save the planet and talk about the importance of the rainforest and flora and fauna around us. It would culminate in writing a persuasive piece, as the students attempt to argue a point using evidence. It’s also good for discussing point of view as we can identify Cherry’s POV on the environment and what strategies/ techniques she uses to display her voice. We could study additional texts, including nonfiction, as well to round out the unit. The book could be turned into a play if time allowed.
3.RL.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
3.RL.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story
3.W.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons
March 8, 2017
The author/illustrator traveled to the Amazon rain forest to research the illustrations for this book. The illustrations are gorgeous, very colorful and educational as well. The story is a plea to leave the rainforest trees alone. Inside the front and back covers an illustrated map is included which shows the earth’s original and remaining rain forest areas.
It made me want to look at actual photos of the Amazon rainforest and to visit there, even though I loathe heat and humidity. And now I’d like to read, and especially look at the art work in, all the books by this author.
It made me want to look at actual photos of the Amazon rainforest and to visit there, even though I loathe heat and humidity. And now I’d like to read, and especially look at the art work in, all the books by this author.
September 26, 2013
My 5 yr old and I really enjoyed this book. It was recommended reading for his lesson on South America and it's all about saving the rain forests. The beautiful illustrations really make you feel for the animals and the habitat and it opened my son's eyes to how we're all living things are dependent on each other. We also learned a lot of new animals, and we loved looking at the world map, a map he's become intimately familiar with. A wonderful book and great addition to any children's library.
April 14, 2018
The book has been around a while, but I'm now reading it with 2nd and 3rd graders in preparation for Earth Day. They can relate to each animal talking about it's habitat and process how humans are taking these living spaces away. I'm hoping this encourages them to make smart decisions everyday. If I can get them to buy fair trade chocolate - well, I'll take that as a small win!
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January 28, 2020Text-To-World Connection:
Wow such a great book and beautiful illustrations. This book can be used as a text-to-world connection because it teaches children in such a creative way about the destruction of the rain forest, or even a forest/woods and how they (we) can take care of it. I loved how it used animals and their emotions come to life to the two main characters.
Wow such a great book and beautiful illustrations. This book can be used as a text-to-world connection because it teaches children in such a creative way about the destruction of the rain forest, or even a forest/woods and how they (we) can take care of it. I loved how it used animals and their emotions come to life to the two main characters.
May 1, 2016
re reading this classic ecology tale for the umpteenth time - fabulously detailed illustrations overcome the sometimes didactic text.
November 5, 2018
The theme of this picture book is the importance of conservation because all living things are interdependent. Good blend of a fictional story with nonfiction information. Lush, vibrantly colored full-page illustrations do justice to the true beauty of the rainforest. The author-illustrator traveled to Brazil to research this book. The end papers contain a map of the world, color-coded to compare current and past rainforest land. Around the map is a border of animals that live in the rainforest.
April 30, 2023
This is a great book with beautiful illustrations. The ending is a disappointment, but the rest of the book is high-quality.
February 19, 2017
Text to Teach
This is a great text to teach book. There are so many activities that could be used with this. The students would be divided into groups of four. Each group will be required to build a model of the rainforest including the four layers. The members of each group will divide up with each member being responsible for one layer. They will each research their chosen layer and then the group will construct a model of the rainforest. Only 15% of the material can be man made (which would wisely be used to represent the animals). The other 85% must be natural resources. For example: moss, grass, small tree limbs, and such. This would be an extended lesson plan to span a minimum of one week.
This is a great text to teach book. There are so many activities that could be used with this. The students would be divided into groups of four. Each group will be required to build a model of the rainforest including the four layers. The members of each group will divide up with each member being responsible for one layer. They will each research their chosen layer and then the group will construct a model of the rainforest. Only 15% of the material can be man made (which would wisely be used to represent the animals). The other 85% must be natural resources. For example: moss, grass, small tree limbs, and such. This would be an extended lesson plan to span a minimum of one week.
November 8, 2016
Text-to-World Connection: How does a theme or content presented in the book connect to something happening in the world?
Text-to Teaching Connection: What is a response activity that you can do in a classroom with Children in response to the book?
"THE GREAT KAPOK TREE" is easily related to the existing deforestation and the importance and of the human impacts dealing with the loss of animals and their homes. Most of my children have never been out of Georgia, therefore I would feel the need to do a dual connection to help my students to achieve and retain the information provided in this literature. I would stretch activities throughout the Month on the topic of the Rain Forest, because the book is very descriptive with various animals and organisms we can learn about. Students could learn about the seven continents and the location of rain forest. Study the different kinds of animals and their homes in the rain forest. We would study the effects of humans and animals. Then look at our similarities. Students can create different models of the Rain Forest within groups. They could explore mapping and graphing, integrating math concepts. We could ask the parents to help create an area in the classroom as an Rain Forest and show how humans come in and remove and destroy the Rain Forest. We can then share solutions of how we can avoid more destruction and how to save the animals.
Text-to Teaching Connection: What is a response activity that you can do in a classroom with Children in response to the book?
"THE GREAT KAPOK TREE" is easily related to the existing deforestation and the importance and of the human impacts dealing with the loss of animals and their homes. Most of my children have never been out of Georgia, therefore I would feel the need to do a dual connection to help my students to achieve and retain the information provided in this literature. I would stretch activities throughout the Month on the topic of the Rain Forest, because the book is very descriptive with various animals and organisms we can learn about. Students could learn about the seven continents and the location of rain forest. Study the different kinds of animals and their homes in the rain forest. We would study the effects of humans and animals. Then look at our similarities. Students can create different models of the Rain Forest within groups. They could explore mapping and graphing, integrating math concepts. We could ask the parents to help create an area in the classroom as an Rain Forest and show how humans come in and remove and destroy the Rain Forest. We can then share solutions of how we can avoid more destruction and how to save the animals.
February 17, 2020
Stories with a strong environmental message lend themselves to children's picture books. The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry is in this tradition being a book with gorgeous illustrations of rainforest animals and plants with a message about protecting the Amazon.
This one embraces magical realism bringing an outsider face to face with the creatures who rely on the kapok tree for their livelihood. When the lumberjack comes to the Great Kapok tree he is overcome with fatigue and falls asleep at its base. There he is visited by the creatures of the forest.
He is visited by reptiles, insects, birds, cats and finally the natives of the forest. For this lumberjack the experience is enough to convince him to leave the tree standing. Realistically, that's often not the case. Cherry's take home message though is that if enough people learn about the diversity of the forest, maybe it can be saved.
This one embraces magical realism bringing an outsider face to face with the creatures who rely on the kapok tree for their livelihood. When the lumberjack comes to the Great Kapok tree he is overcome with fatigue and falls asleep at its base. There he is visited by the creatures of the forest.
He is visited by reptiles, insects, birds, cats and finally the natives of the forest. For this lumberjack the experience is enough to convince him to leave the tree standing. Realistically, that's often not the case. Cherry's take home message though is that if enough people learn about the diversity of the forest, maybe it can be saved.
November 18, 2014
It was a really enjoyable, really fast-paced and really well-written children's picture book. It had really beautiful illustrations, great characters, great message and a really good story. It's one my favorite children's pictures books I've ever read in my whole life. I highly recommend this book for children and adults of all ages.
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July 13, 2013This is a great science and social studies related book for my preschool students. We discover what a kapok tree is (they had never heard of it), where it grows (rainforest), where the rainforests are (social studies), and the animals/insects in the rainforest (science).
February 15, 2015
This is a book about a man that is going to cut an old tree in the rainforest. The animals that depend on the tree appear to the man on his dreams and tell him why he shouldn't cut it down. It is a great story about ecology, compassion and how everything is connected.
October 17, 2015
Little kids saw me holding this book today. I found it bright and colourful - bringing back pleasant memories of an Amazon Trail game I'd play all the time when I was yea high.
I suppose I was in the right place at the right time.
I suppose I was in the right place at the right time.
November 19, 2009
Why doesn't the jaguar just eat the man who wants to cut down the tree?
September 27, 2019
My son said he would give this one hundred thousand stars if he could. He loved it.
November 3, 2017
Ugh, what a preachy book. Gag me!
Two men go into a forest, one of them points at this kapok tree, and leaves, and the other one takes an axe and starts cutting it down, then gets tired and goes to sleep. While he's asleep, various animals come and lecture the crap out of this guy about how chopping down trees in the rain forest is bad. The pictures are beautiful, the words are true, and the message is true, and it's a good message, but who is this book written for? The people who are cutting down trees in the rain forest are not going to read a children's book printed in English in the United States. The animals all speak English except for the word "Senhor," the Portuguese word for "Mister", so it's a wonder the presumably Brazilian man understands them at all.
The snake says, "Generations of my ancestors have lived in this tree." The bee says, "Hey, I pollinate things?" The monkeys say, "If you chop down this tree, you're going to chop down another one," an unintentional lesson in the slippery slope fallacy. Do the monkeys live in the tree? They don't say that. They just say, "If you chop down the trees, the roots will die, and then the rains will come, and the forest will turn into a desert." Then the birds come down from the canopy and, again, they don't say, "We need this particular tree," but, "When you chop down the trees, then people will set fire to the underbrush to clear the land, and that's bad." And then some frogs who actually live in the tree protest at being left homeless, and then a jaguar comes and says, "All kinds of things live in this tree; if you cut it down I'm not going to be able to eat them, so I'll starve to death." And porcupines come and say, "Hey! Trees make oxygen! Don't get rid of oxygen!" And some anteaters come and say, "You know, that dude who told you to cut down the tree? He doesn't think about his own children, who tomorrow must live in a world without trees. Think of the children!" And then a sloth comes and says, "The rain forest is really super pretty. Don't get rid of it, 'cause it's pretty." And then a little boy, a noble savage "rain forest child" from the Yanomamo tribe who lives in that forest, approaches the man, apparently buck naked, and says, "Hey, wake up and look at us." And the man wakes up and just goes, "Wow, everything is awesome. You know what, I'm not going to cut down this tree." And then he leaves, and that's the end. Not depicted is the aftermath where the jaguar eats half of the animals who had been standing there waiting for the man to wake up, and the man promptly gets branded as a sexual predator for hanging out with naked prepubescent boys in the woods.
Augh! You can make a case for this perfectly good message without being patronizing about it. You can make a case for the message without cramming it down the reader's throat. You can talk about these things without having each animal coming to him brimming with exposition. She's a great artist. I would say she's not that good of a writer. It's the equivalent of drawing diagrams of everything. You don't need to spell it out. When you do that, it becomes uninteresting to read. The person who's reading it feels like you're talking down to them. They feel like you're saying you're better than they are. Nobody wants to read a book like that. I don't want to read it again, and I don't want to read it to my kids. I can't imagine a child being interested in anything beyond the pictures.
Message: The rain forest is worth preserving.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
Two men go into a forest, one of them points at this kapok tree, and leaves, and the other one takes an axe and starts cutting it down, then gets tired and goes to sleep. While he's asleep, various animals come and lecture the crap out of this guy about how chopping down trees in the rain forest is bad. The pictures are beautiful, the words are true, and the message is true, and it's a good message, but who is this book written for? The people who are cutting down trees in the rain forest are not going to read a children's book printed in English in the United States. The animals all speak English except for the word "Senhor," the Portuguese word for "Mister", so it's a wonder the presumably Brazilian man understands them at all.
The snake says, "Generations of my ancestors have lived in this tree." The bee says, "Hey, I pollinate things?" The monkeys say, "If you chop down this tree, you're going to chop down another one," an unintentional lesson in the slippery slope fallacy. Do the monkeys live in the tree? They don't say that. They just say, "If you chop down the trees, the roots will die, and then the rains will come, and the forest will turn into a desert." Then the birds come down from the canopy and, again, they don't say, "We need this particular tree," but, "When you chop down the trees, then people will set fire to the underbrush to clear the land, and that's bad." And then some frogs who actually live in the tree protest at being left homeless, and then a jaguar comes and says, "All kinds of things live in this tree; if you cut it down I'm not going to be able to eat them, so I'll starve to death." And porcupines come and say, "Hey! Trees make oxygen! Don't get rid of oxygen!" And some anteaters come and say, "You know, that dude who told you to cut down the tree? He doesn't think about his own children, who tomorrow must live in a world without trees. Think of the children!" And then a sloth comes and says, "The rain forest is really super pretty. Don't get rid of it, 'cause it's pretty." And then a little boy, a noble savage "rain forest child" from the Yanomamo tribe who lives in that forest, approaches the man, apparently buck naked, and says, "Hey, wake up and look at us." And the man wakes up and just goes, "Wow, everything is awesome. You know what, I'm not going to cut down this tree." And then he leaves, and that's the end. Not depicted is the aftermath where the jaguar eats half of the animals who had been standing there waiting for the man to wake up, and the man promptly gets branded as a sexual predator for hanging out with naked prepubescent boys in the woods.
Augh! You can make a case for this perfectly good message without being patronizing about it. You can make a case for the message without cramming it down the reader's throat. You can talk about these things without having each animal coming to him brimming with exposition. She's a great artist. I would say she's not that good of a writer. It's the equivalent of drawing diagrams of everything. You don't need to spell it out. When you do that, it becomes uninteresting to read. The person who's reading it feels like you're talking down to them. They feel like you're saying you're better than they are. Nobody wants to read a book like that. I don't want to read it again, and I don't want to read it to my kids. I can't imagine a child being interested in anything beyond the pictures.
Message: The rain forest is worth preserving.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
November 5, 2018
The story of The Great Kapok Tree is told in the third person and follows the journey of two men that enter a forest. One man leaves while the other is confronted with a large tree (The Great Kapok). He attempts to cut it down but is unable to and falls asleep. The different rainforest animals around him whisper their individual reasons not to cut the tree down in his ear while he is unconscious. At the end a child whispers in his ear and he wakes up. To then look at the tree, turn around and leave. This element of a cliff hanger and suspense provides many different opportunities for the children to talk about and develop.
The words in the great kapok tree are placed in the middle of each page with the pictures filled out around them. The images portray the emotions of each animal that is talking to the man, and each page introduces a new beautiful creature. The words support the text as they are representing the way the animal approaches the man while showing the relevant surroundings.
The experiences of the world the reader would need to bring when reading this text is global awareness of deforestation and farming. This is something that can be explored when reading/teaching the book through TSFW. Having these experiences helps the reader connect with the desperation of each animal not wanting the tree to be cut down. Furthermore it enables them to form a personal opinion on the global issue and give arguments for both sides of the argument as to whether or not the man should cut the tree down.
The pictures in this book contribute to the beauty of this story. They provide a real warmth and positive connection between the words and environment.
Having taught this book through TSFW for 3 weeks during a teaching placement the children responded really well to emotional dilemmas the man faced, while considering the animals and then environment. It also provided great opportunities for cross-curricular learning with subjects such as geography and RE.
The words in the great kapok tree are placed in the middle of each page with the pictures filled out around them. The images portray the emotions of each animal that is talking to the man, and each page introduces a new beautiful creature. The words support the text as they are representing the way the animal approaches the man while showing the relevant surroundings.
The experiences of the world the reader would need to bring when reading this text is global awareness of deforestation and farming. This is something that can be explored when reading/teaching the book through TSFW. Having these experiences helps the reader connect with the desperation of each animal not wanting the tree to be cut down. Furthermore it enables them to form a personal opinion on the global issue and give arguments for both sides of the argument as to whether or not the man should cut the tree down.
The pictures in this book contribute to the beauty of this story. They provide a real warmth and positive connection between the words and environment.
Having taught this book through TSFW for 3 weeks during a teaching placement the children responded really well to emotional dilemmas the man faced, while considering the animals and then environment. It also provided great opportunities for cross-curricular learning with subjects such as geography and RE.
April 21, 2021
This was a thrift store find I'm pretty pleased with myself over. I picked it up because the tree looks like ones I saw in Panama, where my husband is from, and after flipping through it and seeing most (if not all) of the animals are in Panama as well, I bought it. Although the story (allegory?) is set in Brazil, it's the same Amazon that extends into the Darien rainforest in Panama. The kapok tree is apparently the "ceiba" tree in Panama, and Panama has the same fusion of Afro-Indian-Spanish peoples embodied in the protagonist. In short, I am really excited to find any picturebook that teaches my kids about any semblance of their Panamanian "roots" (hee hee).
The story tells about a man asked to chop down a ceiba tree by another man (in what looks like it could be a Panama hat!). One by one, the animals and one indigenous child come to plead with the man to spare the tree, each offering up one of the many reasons trees are needed.
The illustrations are just gorgeous and engaging. Each page is full of details to keep my little guy's eyes occupied while I read -- although not quite enough for the length of the text, which I usually have to cut shorter and shorter as we get through the book.
The back has a map of the earth's existing rain forests (so I can point out Panama!), a cross section of the sky-to-ground layers of the rain forest, and a smattering of some of the species in the book, named. My little guy likes to learn the names of the different animals.
I would have liked an additional supplemental about responsible foresting, because the take-away is that chopping down a tree is simply bad all around. If kids can handle the lengthy text, they can handle nuance. Other than that, the only thing that could've made this better is if it were actually set in Panama.
The story tells about a man asked to chop down a ceiba tree by another man (in what looks like it could be a Panama hat!). One by one, the animals and one indigenous child come to plead with the man to spare the tree, each offering up one of the many reasons trees are needed.
The illustrations are just gorgeous and engaging. Each page is full of details to keep my little guy's eyes occupied while I read -- although not quite enough for the length of the text, which I usually have to cut shorter and shorter as we get through the book.
The back has a map of the earth's existing rain forests (so I can point out Panama!), a cross section of the sky-to-ground layers of the rain forest, and a smattering of some of the species in the book, named. My little guy likes to learn the names of the different animals.
I would have liked an additional supplemental about responsible foresting, because the take-away is that chopping down a tree is simply bad all around. If kids can handle the lengthy text, they can handle nuance. Other than that, the only thing that could've made this better is if it were actually set in Panama.
March 27, 2025
Lynne Cherry's beautifully illustrated children's book, The Great Kapok Tree, portrays the Amazon rainforest. The narrative centers on a man sent to chop down a huge kapok tree. Before he can finish, he nods off, and while he dreams, animals from the rainforest, from a jaguar to a toucan, whisper in his ear why the tree is so important to their survival. The strong bond between people and the land is highlighted through the voice of an indigenous child.
This book is an excellent tool for teaching kids about conservation, environmental justice, and our shared responsibility to preserve the earth. It also emphasizes how important it is to honor Indigenous knowledge and the wisdom of people who have lived peacefully with the environment for many centuries. These topics relate to more general social justice ideals, especially the concepts of action and connection.
Goodreads is a place where parents, teachers, and book enthusiasts search for suggestions, which is why I'm publishing this review here. Many will appreciate the book's environmental concerns and its capacity to start significant discussions, even though not everyone may be familiar in social justice ideas.
Children in grades 2–5 are a good fit for this book since they can understand its message and participate in conservation-related conversations. It can serve as an introduction for teachers to discuss issues like deforestation and our responsibility to preserve the environment. Students could write from the viewpoint of a rainforest species, arguing for the preservation of their home, as a great extended project.
The Great Kapok Tree is a visually amazing and interesting book for young readers who want to learn about the influence of human choices and the power of nature that they shouldn't ignore.
This book is an excellent tool for teaching kids about conservation, environmental justice, and our shared responsibility to preserve the earth. It also emphasizes how important it is to honor Indigenous knowledge and the wisdom of people who have lived peacefully with the environment for many centuries. These topics relate to more general social justice ideals, especially the concepts of action and connection.
Goodreads is a place where parents, teachers, and book enthusiasts search for suggestions, which is why I'm publishing this review here. Many will appreciate the book's environmental concerns and its capacity to start significant discussions, even though not everyone may be familiar in social justice ideas.
Children in grades 2–5 are a good fit for this book since they can understand its message and participate in conservation-related conversations. It can serve as an introduction for teachers to discuss issues like deforestation and our responsibility to preserve the environment. Students could write from the viewpoint of a rainforest species, arguing for the preservation of their home, as a great extended project.
The Great Kapok Tree is a visually amazing and interesting book for young readers who want to learn about the influence of human choices and the power of nature that they shouldn't ignore.
June 27, 2022
The Great Kapok Tree is about two men going to the Amazon rainforest to cut down the great kapok tree. However, the animals convinced them not to by giving them reasons why they need the trees. I read this book to my year 3/4 children and they were really inspired as they were able to understand the effect of deforestation. This book resonates with the children as they spend the morning of their Friday in a forest school. They do activities which help the environment and build shelters for the animals. After reading this story, the children wrote a letter arguing against deforestation to a logging company. The writing was successful as all children were very passionate so this meant that they had loads of ideas. Furthermore, this book was used as a text drive in Art. Children were asked to create a collage of a rainforest inspired by Picasso. Chn were able to use different textures to resemble the parts of the rainforest that they were drawing. For instance, they used cardboard to resemble the tree bark. This was also a lovely book to refer back to in Geography when we were looking at different rainforests.
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October 7, 2019Summary:
This book is a realistic fiction story about a man who comes into the Amazon Rainforest to do his job. All of the animals in the forest are confused as to why he is there and are very suspicious. Then the man starts chopping at the Kapok tree with his ax. Eventually he lays down to rest and all of the animals one by one come up to him and whisper in his ear as he sleeps about why they need the rainforest to live. Once the man wakes up he decides to go home instead of tearing down the rainforest.
Evaluation:
This is a gorgeous book that talks about how important it is to save our rainforests. Also it did a great job of explaining the different levels of the rainforest as well and what animals lived in each level! It was gorgeously illustrated and was a great message for kids!
Teaching Ideas:
This is a great book to use when talking about science and deforestation! This is a great resource to introduce what's happening in our ecosystems today! I would probably save it for older grades to have a more in depth lesson and discussion on it.
This book is a realistic fiction story about a man who comes into the Amazon Rainforest to do his job. All of the animals in the forest are confused as to why he is there and are very suspicious. Then the man starts chopping at the Kapok tree with his ax. Eventually he lays down to rest and all of the animals one by one come up to him and whisper in his ear as he sleeps about why they need the rainforest to live. Once the man wakes up he decides to go home instead of tearing down the rainforest.
Evaluation:
This is a gorgeous book that talks about how important it is to save our rainforests. Also it did a great job of explaining the different levels of the rainforest as well and what animals lived in each level! It was gorgeously illustrated and was a great message for kids!
Teaching Ideas:
This is a great book to use when talking about science and deforestation! This is a great resource to introduce what's happening in our ecosystems today! I would probably save it for older grades to have a more in depth lesson and discussion on it.
April 7, 2024
Over 30 years since its original publication, this book still feels as fresh and relevant as ever.
Through the eyes of the animals and people indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, we learn how this unique ecosystem is vital to our our planet, and how it is under threat from human destruction.
The messages are delivered in a no-nonsense but accessible way for young children and Lynne Cherry’s passion for the subject exudes from every word.
The vivid and detailed illustrations are as powerful as the narrative. Clearly, Cherry’s journey into the rainforest before writing this book influenced her deeply. Every page sensually evokes the sights and sounds of the place.
My class of 7 and 8 year olds were gripped when we first read it together and it inspired some wonderful writing, describing the rainforest environment. Now importantly though, they were moved by the plight of the rainforest and its indigenous species. This awareness raising in the next generation is what will hopefully bring about change in the future.
Through the eyes of the animals and people indigenous to the Amazon rainforest, we learn how this unique ecosystem is vital to our our planet, and how it is under threat from human destruction.
The messages are delivered in a no-nonsense but accessible way for young children and Lynne Cherry’s passion for the subject exudes from every word.
The vivid and detailed illustrations are as powerful as the narrative. Clearly, Cherry’s journey into the rainforest before writing this book influenced her deeply. Every page sensually evokes the sights and sounds of the place.
My class of 7 and 8 year olds were gripped when we first read it together and it inspired some wonderful writing, describing the rainforest environment. Now importantly though, they were moved by the plight of the rainforest and its indigenous species. This awareness raising in the next generation is what will hopefully bring about change in the future.
January 26, 2018
Animals find their voice in this story in order to save the great Kapok tree from being chopped down. No longer just passive watchers, the rainforest creatures emerge to spell it out clearly – the tree is their home, the source of their sustenance, it’s what holds the earth together, it’s the air they breathe. To destroy it would be to endanger the entire forest as “all living things depend on one another.” Their pleas bring about in the logger a change of heart and he leaves with a new understanding of the forest.
But he is not the only one who starts to see the rainforest with new eyes. We see it now, throbbing with vibrant life, through Lynne Cherry’s meticulous illustrations. The attention and effort that has gone into each drawing deserves careful consideration. Filled with rich, glistening colours and abundant, carefully-studied details, The Great Kapok Tree is a rainforest packed into a book.
But he is not the only one who starts to see the rainforest with new eyes. We see it now, throbbing with vibrant life, through Lynne Cherry’s meticulous illustrations. The attention and effort that has gone into each drawing deserves careful consideration. Filled with rich, glistening colours and abundant, carefully-studied details, The Great Kapok Tree is a rainforest packed into a book.
September 21, 2019
-A brief summary of the book
-This is a fictional book where a man goes into the rainforest in search of the Great Kapok Tree so he can cut it down. Once in the forest he gets tired and decides to take a nap beside the tree. During this nap many of the creatures that live at the Kapok tree talk to him in his sleep trying to convince him to not cut the tree down. When the man wakes up he realizes the importance of the tree and does not cut it down.
-Your evaluation of the book supported by at least one reason
-I thought this was a very cute book with beautiful and bright colored illustrations. The book also has a great lesson for the children reading it.
-One detailed and specific teaching idea that you could use with your book
-We used this book in my 5th grade classroom to teach a lesson over summarizing literary texts. The students were able to pick out key details in the book in order to create a summary.
-This is a fictional book where a man goes into the rainforest in search of the Great Kapok Tree so he can cut it down. Once in the forest he gets tired and decides to take a nap beside the tree. During this nap many of the creatures that live at the Kapok tree talk to him in his sleep trying to convince him to not cut the tree down. When the man wakes up he realizes the importance of the tree and does not cut it down.
-Your evaluation of the book supported by at least one reason
-I thought this was a very cute book with beautiful and bright colored illustrations. The book also has a great lesson for the children reading it.
-One detailed and specific teaching idea that you could use with your book
-We used this book in my 5th grade classroom to teach a lesson over summarizing literary texts. The students were able to pick out key details in the book in order to create a summary.
April 11, 2017
Plot/Setting:
Cause & effect (...and how that lead to sequence of events; animals talk about how one action builds on the devastation of the rainforest); how humans cause damage and how it affects the animals
Drawing conclusions (that everything in the rainforest is interdependent on each other)
Visualizing the setting: Rich word choice once he wakes up to emphasize perceptual change (i.e. sun streaming through canopy; glowed like jewels;
Characters:
Character changes from beginning to end (focus on actions)
Character’s perception changes (beginning of story doesn’t notice all around him; after he wakes us realizes the beauty surrounding him--this requires multiple rereadings to really compare/contrast differences)
Theme:
All things depend on each other
Important to protect the environment; take care of things
Learn to appreciate all the things around you
Vocabulary:
Whack! Chop! Chop! (onomotopoeia; using for emphasis)
Rich word choice once he wakes up to emphasize perceptual change (i.e. sun streaming through canopy; glowed like jewels; dark green forest; dangled in the air; steamy mist)
Other notes/lesson possibilities:
Notice and Note Fiction: Words of the Wiser
Cause & effect (...and how that lead to sequence of events; animals talk about how one action builds on the devastation of the rainforest); how humans cause damage and how it affects the animals
Drawing conclusions (that everything in the rainforest is interdependent on each other)
Visualizing the setting: Rich word choice once he wakes up to emphasize perceptual change (i.e. sun streaming through canopy; glowed like jewels;
Characters:
Character changes from beginning to end (focus on actions)
Character’s perception changes (beginning of story doesn’t notice all around him; after he wakes us realizes the beauty surrounding him--this requires multiple rereadings to really compare/contrast differences)
Theme:
All things depend on each other
Important to protect the environment; take care of things
Learn to appreciate all the things around you
Vocabulary:
Whack! Chop! Chop! (onomotopoeia; using for emphasis)
Rich word choice once he wakes up to emphasize perceptual change (i.e. sun streaming through canopy; glowed like jewels; dark green forest; dangled in the air; steamy mist)
Other notes/lesson possibilities:
Notice and Note Fiction: Words of the Wiser
November 29, 2017
We read "The Great Kapok Tree" to learn about sustainability.
Gerry said, "I think it was sad and it made you think about what causes global warming. In the future, instead of breathing oxygen from trees, you will breate oxygen from tanks."
Zara said, "I took away from this book that we should be nicer to Mother Nature. If you're not, the things on the Earth will die."
Maya said, "We shouldn't take the ecosystem of other animals because if they took our ecosystem, we wouldn't be happy."
Jorge said, "I think that the book should be different, because in real life animals do not talk."
Frances (the teacher) said, "We had fun using different voices for the different animals. The pictures in the book are very detailed and beautiful. As a class, the average rating for the Kapok Tree is 4 stars. I recommend it for anyone who wants to read about the rainforest or sustainability."
Gerry said, "I think it was sad and it made you think about what causes global warming. In the future, instead of breathing oxygen from trees, you will breate oxygen from tanks."
Zara said, "I took away from this book that we should be nicer to Mother Nature. If you're not, the things on the Earth will die."
Maya said, "We shouldn't take the ecosystem of other animals because if they took our ecosystem, we wouldn't be happy."
Jorge said, "I think that the book should be different, because in real life animals do not talk."
Frances (the teacher) said, "We had fun using different voices for the different animals. The pictures in the book are very detailed and beautiful. As a class, the average rating for the Kapok Tree is 4 stars. I recommend it for anyone who wants to read about the rainforest or sustainability."
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