Over and Under the Rainforest

Over and Under

by Kate Messner, Kate Messner

Part of the critically acclaimed Over and Under series!Award-winning duo Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal take readers on a thrilling tour of one of the most diverse ecosystems on planet the rainforests of Central America. Discover the wonder that lies hidden among the roots, above the winding rivers, and under the emerald leaves of the rainforest.• Features animals like the slender parrot snake to the blue morpho butterfly• Explores the canopies, where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call• Other animals include capuchin monkeys who swing from vines and slow-moving sloths who wait out daily thunderstormsUnder the canopy of the rainforest hundreds of animals make their homes, but up in the leaves hides another world.This stunning read is perfect for kids who can't get enough of the rainforest and all the animals living in it. • Equal parts educational and beautiful, this book is perfect for parents and grandparents, as well as librarians, science teachers, and educators.• A great book for kids who love nature, rainforests, animals, and learning more about the world• Perfect for children ages 5 to 8 years old• You'll love this book if you love books like The Big Book of Bugs by Yuval Zommer, The Animal Book by Lonely Planet Kids, and A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Aston.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Nonfiction, Childrens, Animals, Science, Environment

48 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2020

About the author

Kate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.,SUGAR AND ICE, and EYE OF THE STORM (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010) the MARTY MCGUIRE series (Scholastic), SEA MONSTER'S FIRST DAY, and OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.

Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com

Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner

...or follow her on Twitter - @katemessner

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب بسیار زیبا بود.
یه قسمتی یه نقاشی ای داشت که منو برد به خاطرات حدود پونزده‌سال پیش که تو پارک لاله رو چمن ها درازکشیده بودم و از زاویه پایین درخت ها رو نقاشی میکردم، چون به نظرم این طوری حق مطلب راجع به درختای به اون قشنگی و بزرگی ادا میشد.=)
قسمت جذاب‌تر کتاب اون قسمت راجع به حیواناتش بود که آخرش آورده بود.
۱۴۰۴.۰۴

[Cam (Lana Belova) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A journey through the wonders of the rainforest on the way to the cozy home where the family lives. I got familiar in here with various animals and insects I haven't known about, like a golden spider that weaves a golden web. In general, I'm afraid of spiders but, nonetheless, I like some tiny species I from time to time stumble upon in the garden. They even evoke pleasant feelings when I have to take them in the hands if they cralled into the house. I never thought that I would ever think a spider to be cute but I did :D
The illustrations are subtlety lush with a cozy feeling to them - like the nature after the summer rain when the rainbow comes!



I wasn't able to find my most favourite illustrations, they all are good, though 🙂

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just discovered the author a few minutes ago and I am obsessed with her books. I am so much in love with the lush illustrations and how apt these books are for the right audience.

The contents of this picture book are mind-blowing.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this picture book, a young child is hiking with an uncle (Tito) through the Costa Rico rainforest, which is on the way to Grandmother’s (Abuelita’s) house where supper awaits. There’s both fear and fascination in this journey and just enough detail to make a young reader interested in learning more about each animal. In an Author’s Note, Kate Messner shares that of all her travels for researching books, her visit to the tropical rainforest of Costa Rica has been her very favorite. She visited twice and this book was based on the animals and experiences she had. The back matter also shares more information about each animal and creature featured in this book as well as where to go to find out more about the rainforest. The illustrations in this book were rendered in mixed media.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

[Hadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

a stunningly illustrated picture book with heaps of information about rainforest creatures 🐦🐒🐍🐜

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous. Great addition to this nonfiction series of picture books about nature. The back matter is always well-researched and written for a young audience in mind. This one includes an author's note on the Costa Rican trip and places that inspired this book along with detail about each of the animals featured and suggestions for further reading/research.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I wasn’t quite as captivated by the story as I thought I’d be but it’s still worthwhile and taking into consideration the back matter with further details about each creature makes it easy to award four stars. Includes suggestions for further reading and Sources.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read by the author on You Tube during the quarantine — Thank you, Kate Messner!

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and very instructive.

An adventurous child spends a day in the rainforest. And see a lot of it.

Above ... under ... and all around.

[Busy_beereader]

Í'm tutoring a 7 years old and this is perfect for her. I'm also teaching her nanny to speak English, so this is will work for both.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two brothers make their way home through the Costa Rican rainforest and identify the various animals they see along the way for readers.

A beautiful introduction to a rainforest for kids. There are some rather obscure animals included in here along with the expected rainforest stars. In the back of the book is more information about every animal mentioned in the text and a note from the author on her excitement about rainforests. Highly recommended for lower grade rainforest units, curious kids, and animal lovers.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful and wonder-filled book celebrates the Costa Rican rainforest and its animal inhabitants. A wide variety of unique species are introduced as a child and adult trek through a unique suspended nature trail through the canopy.

Veg*n parents note: One brief reference to the travelers going home to a dinner of chicken.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that helps readers feel like they are there, under the canopy of a rainforest, yet over the surface as the characters hike through on a footbridge. Lots of animals are introduced, and there is a section at the end of the story that gives an informational paragraph on each one - there are 19 named. Is it just me, or do agoutis look like the R.O.U.S. from The Princess Bride?

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be my favorite title in the series yet!

[Dion Yulianto · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are just cool, shady, lush; like a tropical rainforest.

[امیرمحمد حیدری · Rating 3 out of 5]

منتشرشده توسط نشر مهرسا با عنوانِ «بالا روی درختان پایین توی جنگل». مجموعه‌ی جالبی که پدیده‌ی حاضر در عنوان را به کودک در قالب یک ماجراجویی می‌شناساند. از خود پدیده تا موجوداتی که زیستگاه‌شان در آن است، اما تمرکز بیشتر روی موجودات است. در انتهای کتاب نیز نمایه/دانش‌نامه‌ی کوچکی از تمام موجودات و موضوعات حاضر در داستان به همراه توضیحات به دست می‌دهد.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw a video of Kate Messner reading this and it is an amazing book. I am a big fan of the pictures and text in this series, and the latest installment does not disappoint. As a librarian, this is a must purchase!

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was delighted to see there was a new book in this fantastic nonfiction series. This time around, a girl and her uncle hike through the rainforest and discover the wildlife there. I have to admit it kind of freaked me out just thinking there were so many animals so close to these characters. But then I prefer enjoying nature looking out from the comfort and safety of inside a coffee shop. Readers are treated to more information about all the different animals that was encountered throughout the book.

[Holly Pretzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I think I couldn't love the duo that is Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal more, they tackle the rainforest. As I was reading it aloud, I felt this could easily be a sleep story on the Calm app, with sounds from the rainforest. The text and image are rhythmic and peaceful amid an abundance of wildlife. This is a book I'm happy to be absorbed within.

Word count roughly 636 words of story.

[hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

as someone who live in indonesia that has many rain forests, i would say this graphic book was just so pretty

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book! Its illustrations drew me into the scene and the action was realistic!

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Over and Under series that explores ecosystems with children. The young narrator hikes into the rain forest with Tito, their guide. They discover the hidden world in the canopies of the trees, filled with monkeys, insects and birds. They cross a rope bridge that sways above the sleep crocodiles in the river. As they get higher, they see monkeys swing in the trees. Sloths ignore the rain as it starts to fall while blue morpho butterflies take shelter on the tree trunks. Everywhere there is life, small and large, predator and prey. The two people make it home for dinner, as darkness falls.

Messner creates a story that wraps the reader in the experience of walking through a rain forest. Every page offers new animals, the sound of rain, the sway of the bridges. She shows it all with such wonder and fascination that one can’t read the book without also getting curious and wanting to learn more. She offers that in her Author’s Note as well as providing more information on the animals in the book.

Neal’s art is vibrant and beautiful, showing the play of light through the huge trees. He depicts each of the animals, some well known and others that will be new to the reader. As fog descends in the book, it fills the pages creating mystery and beauty.

A journey worth taking. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

[Lonna Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetic picture book description of plants and animals in the rainforest is written from the perspective of a brother and sister on a day's hike under the canopy in the dense Central American rainforest. Vivid language abounds: "Slivers of sunlight, dripping-wet leaves, a symphony of sound" and evokes the feeling of being inundated with myriad senses in this hidden world, especially with Neal's accompanying illustrations. Based on Messner's travels to a Costa Rica rainforest, the realism is palpable, and the animals are the best, with a catalog of further information at its close. This simple picture book could help any child imagine themselves surrounded by the sights and sounds of this fascinating ecosystem, and it would make a tremendous read-aloud selection for grades K-5. It might even inspire further research on the variety of unusual rainforest animals, such as howler monkeys, oropendola birds, agoutis, crocodiles, green basilisks, leaf-cutter ants, golden orb spiders, and eyelash palm pit vipers.

[Lynsaroo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take an all-encompassing trek with a child and her Tito as they wander through the depths of the rainforest. On the forest floor 🦋 they are surrounded by immense trees filled with diverse 🦜 birds and 🐒 primates while other critters traverse the nearby paths and 🕸 underbrush. They step up onto a footbridge to get a better view🐍above, and down onto more menacing 🐊 beasts below. The thick, damp air and a concert of calls immerse them from all sides as the darkness of night rapidly descends and other animals 🦇 awake for their nighttime 🐆 prowl.

I’ve been meaning to check out this series for a while. I love how you can see what the characters see from every possible perspective, and the “About the Animals” 🦥 section is always a great touch for continued learning. It really digs into all five senses to make you feel present in the scene. My son, as usual, loved all the animals. His favorite is the 🦎 basilisk which he recognized from one of his most-loved shows, Wild Kratts. I can’t wait to check out some of the other titles from our library.

Find us on Instagram @3BittyBookworms

[Kate Hern · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because I can relate to Kate Messner in a way when she took her trip to Costa Rica to write this book about the rainforest. I went to Costa Rica about a year ago and the illustrations portray it so well it almost feels like I am back in Costa Rica. It is a beautiful story. There are so much mixed media in it that allows the audience to see the country from a first perspective eye. Most of the pages are double-page spread full-bleed. They show the diverse ecosystem in an amazing way that I highly recommend to young readers as a lesson about central America and ecosystems outside of big cities such as metropolitan areas. I believe I can use this as a future teaching idea to make the classroom like a rainforest with waterfall noises in the background to make it look like they are in nature almost like a field trip but safe in your own classroom. I highly recommend this book!

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated picture book! This was published the year I retired from my career as a children’s librarian, or I surely would have used it in a storytime. I used to do Earth Day and also world themes. I once did a series of themes for each of the continents. It isn’t hard to find books about the rainforest for preschoolers, but not all of those out there are as good as this one. Whenever I did themes on various countries, I tried to include at least one that had non-stereotyped illustrations of the people (particularly children or whole families) that lived in those parts of the world. The children learned a little something, and I felt like it improved the quality of my program. South America was not an easy country to find books that had children from that continent in them though; most of them were mainly about animals and the foliage. So I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to incorporate this book in one of my programs.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenges: Book-A-Day in May 2021 (BONUS: 6/37); Springathon 2021 - Bloom/Decay (2, ecosystem of the rainforest ), Buzz/Stillness (4, sounds of rainforest/pleasure of hike); Springathon Cover Scavenger Hunt 2021 - soil/dirt (4, life among the roots), bird (6, cover/throughout illustrations), travel/migration (8, vacation to Central America); Reading Goal Posts/Stacking the Series - Priority Three/Tier Seven. One of two books on nature read for this day in May: a series for ages 5 - 8; this one discusses the interconnection of the canopy and soil of the tropical rainforest. Some featured animals: the toucan, parrot snake, capuchin monkey, pale-billed woodpeckers, blue morpho butterfly, and sloths. The mixed media illustrations of Christopher Silas Neal throughout this series reflect the refreshment that nature offers. Great for adults to read and share with children.

[Hannahcarlson7875gmail.Com]

This book actually doesn’t release until August but in light of schools being closed the author decided to read it aloud. The book introduces readers into the world of the Rainforest of Costa Rica. Readers see pictures and learn of all the different kinds of animals that you might encounter; many I had never heard of. I really enjoyed the illustrations and connected many of the shapes used to our minilesson on how different shapes can portray different emotions. When it becomes nighttime the illustrations have sharper points, and the animals eyes change from being “welcoming,” to pretty frightening. Overall, it was awesome to see a book that hasn’t come out yet, and I think students would really enjoy this book and even inspire some to do additional research on some of the animals.

[MindfulMuslimReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This highly informative, beautifully illustrated series of picture books teaches children that to know God, is to know Him through His creations. By capturing the sights, sounds and awe experienced on a walk in the rainforest, this book inspires a deep reverence for an endangered habitat—an important step toward raising future generations of guardians for our planet. The About the Animals section found at the end of the book, richly enhances the content and allows for continuous learning as children grow.

We rate children's books for virtue, language, story, and beauty and flag content advisories when needed.

Read more at MindfulMuslimReader.com.
“Books Worth Reading”

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Childrens picture book nonfiction. This book was very informative bout many animals living in the rainforest. The pictures were really cool too, lots of colors in the rainforest! But the narrative was lacking, it wouldn't really be a book to read just because, but rather when learning more about the rainforest is the clear intention. Back matter included an author's note that pegged the book specifically to the Cost Rican rainforest, more information about each animal mentioned, and additional resources. Amount of text and slow pace of narrative makes this squarely in the realm of elementary school audience.