Where the Forest Meets the Sea

Last updated Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Author: Jeannie Baker
Illustrator: Jeannie Baker
Date of Publication: 1988
ISBN: 0688063632
Grade Level: 1st
Date(s) Used: April 2004

Synopsis: A boy travels with his father to a tropical rain forest. Walking among the trees and vines, he imagines the forest as it might have been in the past, with now-extinct creatures and aboriginal children inhabiting it. How much longer, the boy wonders, will the forest remain?

Tips for reading the book: This book emphasizes protecting and preserving special places in nature and sharing these places with your loved ones.  A picture walk before reading and a discussion afterward will help you make the most of your time. Ask plenty of questions, emphasizing vocabulary regarding the different items in the forest.

Discussion topics:

• Where do animals live? Where would they live if we built a city on their home?
• What animals live in the ocean? In a jungle? On a mountain? Other areas?

Craft ideas:

• Use cutouts of trees and other items from the book to make a collage of the forest.
• Take one sheet of paper, and cut several "window flaps" with three cuts each. Glue to a second sheet of paper. Behind each window flap draw an animal from the book.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don’t have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!