“When Peter arrives in Costa Rica, he’s greeted by the biggest butterfly he’s ever seen: a blue morpho, with shiny turquoise wings. It’s just one of a variety of creatures he encounters during his first trip to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, a real tropical preserve in Monteverde that kids in 44 countries, and counting, have raised money to protect. The Forever Forest’s expressive dialogue will enthrall readers, many of whom will identify with Peter’s excitement about spotting animals and plants he’s never seen before. Upon inspecting what appears to be a tangle of moss hanging from a tree, he exclaims, “Hey! The moss has arms!” only to learn that it’s the camouflaged hair of a two-toed sloth. Pratt-Serafini’s playful, vibrant watercolor and mixed-media illustrations capture the essence of each forest denizen Peter spies, including saucer-eyed kinkajous (members of the raccoon family) that feast on bananas against a starry sky. Descriptions of species that accompany each picture will further educate kids about cloudforest biodiversity. An informative epilogue tracks the progress of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest project—proof that to protect something you love, age doesn’t matter.”

—Julie Leibach

Audubon Magazine
September-October 2008 issue
pg. 98

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