The Forest in the Clouds
Sneed B. Collard III, author
Sneed B. Collard III has been a biologist, computer scientist, and author. He began writing after graduating with honors in marine biology from the University of California, Berkeley. After earning his master’s in scientific instrumentation at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he continued to hone his craft while serving as a computer consultant for biologists.
Read more about Sneed.
Michael Rothman, illustrator
Michael Rothman received a Masters of Fine Arts from City University of New York (Brooklyn College) in 1977. Since then, he has worked as a teacher and a freelance illustrator. He has traveled extensively as a natural science illustrator and contributed to such publications as Natural History, Scientific American, and The New Yorker.
Read more about Michael.
- Booklist Top Ten Science Books for Youth
- NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
- ILA Teachers' Choice Award
Booklist
This colorful book introduces Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest, which Collard discussed for somewhat older reasons in Monteverde: Science and Scientists in a Costa Rican Cloud Forest (1997). Stretching across the double-page spreads, Rothman's beautifully textured acrylic paintings offer close-up views of some of the animals and plants living in this rich and complex ecosystem. Collard's text is as focused and colorful as the illustrations. Commenting on the forest itself as well as individual creatures that live there, he gives a clear sense of the diversity of life to be found in a cloud forest and the need to protect it. The book ends with a glossary, a map showing cloud forests in Costa Rica, and lists of organizations, books, and Web sites related to cloud forests, rain forests, and conservation.
The Horn Book Guide
Richly detailed paintings show the flora and fauna of the Monteverde cloud forest in Costa Rica while the text provides some background information about the conditions that create a cloud forest and the great variety of plants and animals found within its borders. Environmental problems are discussed, and several organizations that are working on these issues are listed, as are some relevant websites.
School Library Journal
Collard introduces young readers to the world of Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest. He highlights unusual plants and animals and explains the interrelationships among the forest's inhabitants. His concern for the area's ecology is apparent in his account of the disappearance of species, notably the golden toad. A list of books, Web sites, and environmental organizations offers additional sources of information. Rothman's detailed acrylic paintings, dominated by rich greens and browns, cover the better part of each spread. The illustrations, especially of cloud forest birds, help children appreciate the unique features of the area. Older readers might enjoy Dorothy Hinshaw Patent's Children Save the Rain Forest (Dutton, 1996), which documents efforts to preserve rain forest habitat in the surrounding area of Costa Rica. Although valuable for reports, Collard's book will interest browsers as well.
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-88106-986-0
E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-247-2 PDF
Ages: 5-8
Page count: 32
11 x 8 1/2