“Filled with beautiful illustrations and lyrical text, The Rainforest Grew All Around is an excellent resource to introduce children to the wonders of rainforests, an important step in teaching children to be good stewards of Planet Earth.                            ~ Julianne Schrader - Education Program Manager                                                                                            Rainforest Alliance

"A lighter, less message-driven alternative to Lynne Cherry’s classroom standby, Great Kapok Tree (1990)."                                                     ~ Kirkus Review , March 2007

Beautifully written by Susan K. Mitchell and superbly illustrated by Connie McLennan, “The Rainforest Grew All Around” is an ideal introduction to rainforest ecology and eco-systems for elementary school and middle school students. Young readers will learn amazing facts about a variety of animals and plants native to rainforest habitats. Kids will enjoy looking for rainforest bugs and butterflies nicely embedded in the detailed and complex illustrations. The text is enriched by the inclusion of ‘Animal Sidebar Fun Facts’ and ‘Plant Sidebar Fun Facts’. Kids will learn about rainforest animal adaptations, plant adaptations, seed dispersal, as well as what can be obtained from rain forests. There is even a rainforest cookie recipe! A special note for parents and teachers is the Sylvan Dell Publishing website’s learning links and teaching activities associated with utilizing “The Rainforest Grew All Around” as an educational resource. As fun as it is informative, “The Rainforest Grew All Around” is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to family, school, and community library Nature Studies and picturebook collections.                                                                                     ~James A Cox, editor-in-chief                                                                                                                        Midwest Book Review

You can travel through the rainforest following the circle of life depicted in this beautifully illustrated book.  The "Creative Mind" section has been verified by David Oren of the Nature Conservatory, Amazon Conservation Program.  Just another excellent book by our friends at Sylvan Dell Publishing.  It is recommended for the entire family to read, learn and enjoy!  This book even supports elementary school curriculum focusing on plants animal habitats.                                                   ~Helen B. Fellers, Coordinator of the                                                                      South Carolina Center for Children's Books and Literacy                                                                      SLIS, CMCIS-USC                                                                      South Carolina State Library

This unique book capitalizes on the familiar song “The Green Grass Grew All Around” to present entertainment and information about the Rain Forest. The lines repeat and accumulate adding such Rain Forest entities as the seed, tree, cat, vine, snake and more. After a read or two, listeners will delight in voicing the text along with an adult reader. Or, the one syllable words will allow children to read the text on their own. Bright water color illustrations bleed from the edges of their frame and add a realistic edge to the text. Each spread contains a sidebar filled with facts about the creatures or the Rain Forest. The format is one in which the sidebars could be read separately from the sing- song text or they could be read at the same time. Either way, the clever set up will provide lots of enjoyment. It is an excellent resource to add to science lessons. End matter is a plus. The Creative Minds section tells about adaptations of the animals in the text and also has a recipe for Rain Forest Cookies. You can’t go wrong when you add this to elementary classrooms and libraries.                                                                           ~Nancy Attebury                                                                                                   Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database

This lilting text ... [is] a superbly educational and entertaining book for young readers.  Readers will surely find something new every time they read it. Highly recommended for classrooms K - 2.                                       ~ Smartwriters.com                                                     recommended books for the classroom

"Colorful and engaging - a springboard for discussion with children about other life cycles and ecosystems, as it will inevitably pique their interest."                                                                                 ~ Armchair Interviews

Yum, a rainforest cookie recipe, informative sidebars, and luscious illustrations make this lovely book a keeper!  Children ages 3 to 7 will delight in this book, which will be enjoyed for years to come in both home and classroom libraries.                                                           ~ Judith Nasse, Children’s Book Reviews

"Check out this clever Amazon adaptation of the children's favorite "The Green Grass Grew All Around" by new author and preschool teacher Susan K. Mitchell.  This is a solid addition to your children's science and nature section."                               ~The Toolbox - March 2007                                               Association of Booksellers for Children

"A delightful tale ... a children’s book, both you and your children will enjoy reading this story together time and time again all while delivering a great lesson of sharing and team work.  The book is engaging and a pure delight and offers a wonderful cast of characters."                                                         ~ Quality Book Reviews

Susan K. Mitchell’s version of this old fable is well written and flows well when read aloud. McNevin Hayes’ illustrations are a treasure. His characters are quirky while retaining just a bit of the rawness you might expect in the desert. My favorite is the jackrabbit, who’s so skinny you can see his ribs. There’s more to this story than just an easy flow and pictures that make you smile. The lesson behind the fable stresses teamwork, sharing, and ingenuity. Stone Pizza should be a welcome addition to any children’s library.                                                                       ~Bookpleasures.com

"Children learn about the wide variety of creatures lurking in
the lush Amazon rainforest in this adaptation of 'The Green
Grass Grew All Around'."
                         ~ Children's Book Council Magazine Showcase
                                                                                            March/April 2007

Reviews

This lively introduction to plants and animals of the Amazon rainforest is
organized around the towering kapok tree. Readers meet a jaguar, a green boa,
leafcutter ants, a sloth, and other creatures that live in its branches. The
cumulative verse draws them together while the “rainforest grew all around, all
around; the rainforest grew all around.” Text panels on the sides of the well-laid-
out pages offer facts about the plants and animals depicted close up, such as,
“Pineapples are bromeliads that grow in the ground.” Although the color
illustrations resemble those of Lynne Cherry’s in The Great Kapok Tree
(Harcourt, 1990), this book is less message heavy. Two pages of activities plus
a recipe for rainforest cookies provide opportunities to extend learning, but there
is no musical score.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
                                                                      ~ School Library Journal - August 2007

This engaging book about the rainforest, inspired by the author’s experience using the
song “The Green Grass Grew All Around “ with preschoolers, amply fills a new
publisher’s mission to provide “Science and Math through Literature.” With intricate,
colorful illustrations, views from underneath and through the leaves of the rainforest,
rhyming words encouraging story hour participation — “and the rainforest grew all
around, all around; the rainforest grew all around” — this picture book is a winner! A
toucan, jaguar, emerald tree boa, bat, sloth, butterflies, leafcutter ants, moths, poison
dart frogs and other creatures make their appearances. A kapok tree, bromeliads,
lianas and other plant life are also woven into the verse and illustrations. Children will
delight in locating tiny creatures, such as the caterpillar near the jaguar’s tail. The book
ends with For Creative Minds, a brief section about adaptation, also available at www.
SylvanDellPublishing.com, and a Rainforest Cookies recipe emphasizing ingredients
from the rainforest. Connie McLennan’s watercolor and acrylic illustrations embellish
this cumulative tale. Highly recommended.

                                                                                                       ~Reviewed by Lora Mirza
                                                                                                          Georgia Perimeter College
                                                                                                          Georgia Library Quarterly