Janice Behrens

A Time for Rain Forest Babies by Behrens and Butler
Summary:
This picturebook about rain forest babies has several illustrations of the animals typically found in a rain forest. Each animal is sleeping in the arms and comfort of a nurturing caregiver. Some of the animals are alone and others are with siblings as they would be in nature. Whether about the ant eater or the gorilla, the reader feels the warmth and comfort and sees the love and pride for a loved one in the caregiver. Each illustration is in the natural setting specific to each animal. The illustrations offer more than 50 percent of the meaning of the story. The construction of the book is of heavy stock less destructible for young readers.
Personal Reaction:
I have a child that likes to cuddle. There is no more special a feeling than when a child has reached out to you with a touch to ensure your existence and your place in that child’s life has been affirmed. Joanna, a child who has fallen asleep in my arms, loves the story because of its color and odd shape. She likes the soft animal best but does not like the creepy ones, not even asleep.
Classroom Extension Ideas
1.In and early child care classroom, this would be an excellent book for a teacher to read when time for young students to nap. While the illustrations are informative of the habitat of animals in the rainforest, the text has soft tones specific to the purpose of inducing relaxation and comfort in children.
2.For an early science class, the book has excellent illustrations of the natural habitat of each animal and would suit well for inducing discussion from a young audience.
3.On the chosen science day, we could have young students bring in their favorite stuffed animal for show and tell.… (more)

I liked this book for many reasons. First, the book opened with a page that was titled, “Word hunt.” These words would be seen throughout the book and pictures also accompanied them. This could make it easier for someone to follow if they have no background knowledge about baseball. Some of the terms included bases, batter, fans, fly ball, etc.
Second, I really liked the format of this book. Each page showed different aspects of a baseball game. For example, the first page said, “Play ball!” The author explained that an umpire is the person who starts off the baseball game. Throughout the book, the author did this with the pitcher, batter, and catcher as well. Other positions were also talked about. On those pages, the author described the roles and responsibilities of each person and what would happen if they did not complete or read that responsibility.
This book is a great resource for young children who are interested in baseball or anyone who wants to get to know a little more about the sport. The terms are very easy to follow.… (more)