RAIN FOREST COLORS

Stunning animal photos introduce children to 10 basic colors in this latest from National Geographic Kids.

From the brilliant blue Ulysses butterfly and yellow orb weaver spider to the scarlet ibis and purple honeycreeper, the colors of these animals are never in doubt, and the photos get readers so close that the scales on the iguana are visible, as are the hairs and bumps on the fiddler crab. Highlighting animals found in the rain forest, each spread features a single creature, its color in a large and matching type at the top, the animal’s name below in the same color along with a brief paragraph that gives a few facts and asks a question of readers (which it then answers): “What do you think the cockatoo is doing?” “Did You Know” boxes on each spread provide another fact. “At night an orangutan bends branches to make a bed high in the trees.” Backmatter includes a spread of fast facts about each of the featured animals (home, size, food, predators, young), a map showing the locations of rain forests around the world as well as where each picture was taken, a “Color Quiz,” a note from the photographer, a glossary and a list of resources for finding out more.

Readers will not only practice their colors, they’ll get an inkling of what a colorful and wonderful world we live in.