I've read most of the books illustrated by the incredibly talented Russian-born illustrator Gennady Spirin. He remains at the top of the list for an artist whose talents are lush and incredibly beautifully detailed.

As the title notes, this is a book which focuses on the animals of the great northern forest, home to a unique ecosystem. Spirin captures the life of animals and the lush plants therein.

And, as the author notes, each year more and more encroachment occurs and there is a real threat to the life of all therein. ( )

Readers tour the boreal forest, learning about the flora, fauna, weather and topography. The sounds of the forest are sprinkled throughout; great for onomonopia lessons. Large illustrations cover the pages providing a glimpse into this beautiful landscape. Includes list of websites to learn more about the boreal forest and the creatures who inhabit it. Authors note goes into more detail about the importance of the boreal forest and the impact of development on this biome. ( )

great science information ( )

This book talks about the different animals that live in the Boreal Forest and what they eat and how they survive winters. It also talks about what happens when there are too many animals, like rabbits. In this story there were too many rabbits so all the vegetation was eaten and then the rabbits started dying because they starved. There were too many rabbits for the forest to handle. it talks about other animals as well, bears, foxes, birds and wolves.

Brenda Guiberson brilliantly unfold the many facets of the Boreal Ecosystem. Readers are guided through a plethora of facts about the changes that occur in the forest from one Summer to the next. She stressed the importance of taking care of the Boreal Forest which makes up one third of the worlds forests.