The rainforest is home to millions of species of plants and animals, creating one of the most vibrant and diverse places on earth. What better way to introduce kids to the beauty and importance of the rainforest than through some amazing books?! I gathered children’s books about the rainforest for you and your little one to dive into while learning about the amazing life that calls the rainforest home—from animals to plants and people, too.
In fact, these 10 Children’s Books About the Rainforest are the suggested books for each topic in my Rainforest Family Unit Study!
If you are new here, let me explain. Each month, I release a brand new Family Unit Study, which is perfect for the whole family to enjoy together, as the activities work for all children aged 4-12 years old.
Each Unit Study covers 10 topics, and each of those 10 topics includes:
- An interesting fact and discussion question,
- Informative readings at your fingertips,
- A hands-on activity with materials you already have at home,
- ‘What’s Happening’ information to accompany your hands-on activity,
- A curated YouTube video,
- A math word problem or literacy enrichment question,
- AND a suggested book that fits that topic!
Grab a sample and take a peek inside my Stars and Constellations Unit Study! You can also see the entire collection of Unit Studies available in my shop right here: https://shop.howweelearn.com/collections/family-unit-studies
Earlier this week, I shared with you how we made this EPIC Rainforest Diorama. I also mentioned one of our favorite books from the Exploring Rainforests Family Unit Study: Over and Under in the Rainforest by Kate Messner.
Today, I’m going to share all 10 of the suggested books from the Exploring Rainforests Family Unit Study—one for each of the 10 topics!
10 Children’s Books About the Rainforest
I strongly suggest you get these books from the library if you are able to. I have also included my Amazon affiliate links below, in case you would like to add them to your personal library.
Are you ready to see the 10 children’s books about the rainforest?! Here we go!
Topic One: What is a Rainforest?
A rainforest is a unique ecosystem different than other forests because of the high amount of rainfall it gets each year. It must receive 60 inches of rainfall per year to be classified as a rainforest. A rainforest is a very tall and very dense jungle with a hot and humid climate.
Book Suggestion: National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of the Rain Forest by Moira Rose Donohue
This adorable animal book about all things jungle features favorite animals found in tropical rainforests. Readers meet jaguars prowling the forest floor, snakes slithering through the understory, red-eyed tree frogs leaping through the canopy, butterflies flitting through the tallest treetops, and many other creatures that inhabit all the different layers.
Topic Two: Tropical vs. Temperate
There are two main classifications of rainforests: temperate rainforests and tropical rainforests. The main difference is where they are located in the world. Tropical rainforests are located very close to the equator, so they are hot. Temperate rainforests are located further north or south of the equator. Temperate rainforests have different types of trees, plants, and animals than tropical rainforests.
Book Suggestion: Redwoods by Jason Chin
An ordinary subway trip is transformed when a young boy happens upon a book about redwood forests. As he reads, the information unfolds, and with each new bit of knowledge, he travels―all the way to California to climb into the Redwood canopy.
Topic Three: Top Layer—Canopy
The canopy is the top layer of the rainforest. Sometimes this layer is split into two, classifying the very top of this layer as the emergent layer. For this unit study, we will classify both together as the canopy layer.
Book Suggestion: Orangutan: A Day in the Rainforest Canopy by Rita Goldner
A young orangutan in Borneo has a wild adventure which starts by waking up in a nest with his mother. Follow his journey through the day, exploring and learning life skills from his mother. Will he escape the rainforest predators? Can he build a nest sturdy enough to keep out the nightly rain? Where will he find enough nourishing food? Can he learn to travel through the high branches quickly and safely?
Topic Four: Middle Layer—Understory
The canopy is the top layer of the rainforest. Sometimes this layer is split into two, classifying the very top of this layer as the emergent layer. For this unit study, we will classify both together as the canopy layer.
Book Suggestion: Over and Under the Rainforest by Kate Messner
Every page within this book is an adventure. In addition to the rainforest flora and fauna explored throughout, there are twenty animals that live on the ground and in the forest canopy and the rivers listed in the back matter, along with further reading suggestions. It’s a wonderful resource for children who have an interest in the natural world.
Topic Five: Bottom Layer—Forest Floor
When we talk about the forest floor, we are referring to the actual dirt ground. This is why elephants and jaguars are classified as living in the understory layer – there are no flying elephants and jaguars in the rainforest! The forest floor is extremely dark, which makes it very hard for any plants to grow. Instead, the forest floor is covered in decomposing leaves and fungi.
Book Suggestion: How High in the Rainforest? Rainforest Animal Habitats by Monika Davies
Explore the layers of the rainforest biome and the animals that live there, from the dark forest floor through the understory, canopy, up to the emergent layer. Comparisons to familiar objects give perspective and illustrated rulers show numeric distances. Includes a map, glossary, and further resources.
Topic Six: Biodiversity
Biodiversity refers to the variety of plants, animals, and any living things in one area. Rainforests are the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, with millions of species calling rainforests home. Specifically, the rainforests in the Amazon are the most biodiverse areas in the world!
Book Suggestion: A Rainforest Food Web by Cari Meister
Hot and humid, the Amazon is home to a diverse range of animals and plants. Toucans, monkeys, tapirs, and caimans all thrive in this gigantic rainforest. Watch out for the green anaconda and jaguar! Vibrant artwork illustrates the link between producers, consumers, and apex predators while carefully leveled text weaves a cohesive story that explains the importance of each element in the ecosystem.
Topic Seven: Amazon Rainforest
The biggest and most biodiverse rainforest in the world is the Amazon rainforest in South America. The Amazon river—the largest river system in the world—runs through this rainforest. There are so many unique animals that live in this rainforest!
Book Suggestion: The Amazon by DK
Discover all there is to know about life in, on, and around the world-famous Amazon River. Learn about the river’s geography, its source, the countries through which it flows, and the stunning and diverse ecosystems it has helped create.
Topic Eight: Indigenous People
The Amazon Rainforest is not only home to plants and animals—people live there too! Nowadays, most of these people live similarly to how you and I live. An indigenous group known as the Yanomamo has been in the Amazon for thousands and thousands of years.
Book Suggestion: Along the Tapajós by Fernando Vilela
This picture book, first published in Brazil, offers kids a unique look into the lives of children who live along Brazil’s beautiful Tapajós River.
Topic Nine: Congo Rainforest
The second largest rainforest in the world is the Congo Rainforest in Africa. It is a tropical rainforest similar in many ways to the Amazon rainforest. The Congo Rainforest is home to many unique animals.
Book Suggestion: Trekking in the Congo Rainforest by Professor Alex Woolf
In this thoughtful text, various settlements, villages, and indigenous peoples are introduced to readers as well as fascinating, and sometimes dangerous, forest creatures. In fact, hippos cause the most human deaths of any large animal in Africa! The narrator of this Congo adventure explores not just this wild landscape but also safety tips, natural history, and conservation concerns about this important part of the world.
Topic Ten: Daintree Rainforest
Australia is a very unique continent with some very unique animals! So it makes sense that the Daintree Rainforest in Australia is full of amazing plants and animals. This rainforest is also the oldest rainforest in the world!
Book Suggestion: Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker
Beautiful collage illustrations take the reader on an extraordinary visual journey to a primeval wilderness, which like so many others is now threatened.
There you have it, my friend, 10 Children’s Books About the Rainforest!
If your little one likes these books, they will love my Rainforest Family Unit Study! See a sample and grab your copy right here: https://shop.howweelearn.com/products/family-unit-study-rainforest
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xo
Sarah
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