Please welcome author Marsha Diane Arnold today with Books about Rainforests and How we can Protect Them. Her newest picture book is Armando’s Island and are giving away a copy. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom.
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Thank you, Mia, for having me on Pragmatic Mom. I’m here to celebrate the rainforests and bring attention to their beautiful wildlife and the indigenous people who call them home. I believe if we learn about the rainforests, we will care about them. Only when we care, will we have the will to protect them. I hope all of these wonderful books will inspire young readers to learn more about nature.
7 Picture Books about Rainforests and How We Can Protect Them
Armando’s Island by Marsha Diane Arnold, illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert
My own rainforest book, Armando’s Island, was written as a fable and came out in early August. Armando’s home is the rainforest. He knows its sights, smells, tastes, and sounds, as well as its plants and wildlife. When outsiders begin laying claim to and destroying the surrounding landscape, the distressed animals find refuge with Armando in the only remaining pocket of untouched forest, his “island.” Readers have celebrated Anne Yvonne’s spectacular illustrations, especially how she often has Armando and the wildlife look straight at the reader. This strongly connects the readers to the purpose Armando has – to protect his small patch of rainforest and the wildlife that has fled to it. Armando’s Island invites the reader to participate in decisions about preserving the wild, the rainforests. An Activity Guide will be available in early September, on The Creative Company site and my website. [picture book, age 6 and up]
The Bee Tree by Stephen Buchmann and Diana Cohn, illustrated by Paul Mirocha
In the rainforest of Malaysia near Pedu Lake, the tualang trees stretch 200+ feet to the sky. It is on these sacred trees that wild Giant Honey Bees build their hives, filling them with precious honey. On a moonless night, young Nizam will make his first trip up the trees to harvest the honey. This is a long tradition for the Orang Asli, the indigenous people of Malaysia. Learn about the rituals and dangers of harvesting honey from so high up in the trees. The extensive backmatter gives more details about Malaysia and its peoples, the ecology of rainforests, the unique Giant Honey Bees, and the honey hunters of Malaysia.[ narrative nonfiction picture book, ages 7 and up]
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
The first rainforest book I’ll share is Lynne Cherry’s classic The Great Kapok Tree. I’m especially happy to share this book as several reviewers have compared Armando’s Island to it. I’m humbled and honored. Sandy Brehl has compared them, stating that the Kapok tree is also “a sort of island of survival within a rainforest.” In The Great Kapok Tree, a man is exhausted by trying to chop down the giant tree. While he rests and sleeps, the forest residents, including a Yanomami child, whisper to him about the importance of the tree. Lynne journeyed to the rainforest of Brazil to write and illustrate this beautiful picture book. [picture book, age 4 and up]
The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang, illustrated by Jana Christy
Meg Lowman, also known as “Canopy Meg,” is a courageous scientist who has made amazing discoveries in the rainforest tree canopies. Meg encountered challenge after challenge but never gave up. This picture book biography demonstrates how, as Meg said, “We are part of our ecosystem, not outside it.” She was always fascinated by the natural world and this book will likely have readers fascinated too. [picture book biography, age 7 and up]
Zonia’s Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal
In this luxuriantly illustrated book, we explore the wonders of the rain forest with Zonia, an Asháninka girl, in her joyful outdoor adventures. The text focuses on Zonia’s bond with her home. The back matter includes a translation of the story in Asháninka, information on the Asháninka community, and resources on the Amazon rain forest and its wildlife. [picture book, age 4 and up]
Over and Under the Rainforest by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
Part of the fascinating Over and Under series, this book explores the canopy and floor of the rainforest. The exploration happens as a child narrator hikes through the Costa Rican rainforest with Tito, perhaps an older relative. There is well-researched backmatter, with details about each creature seen. [picture book, age 5 and up]
One Tiny Treefrog by Tony Piedra, illustrated by Mackenzie Joy
I consider Costa Rica my second home, so I must include One Tiny Treefrog here. This is the story of a red-eyed tree frog’s life cycle in the Costa Rican rainforest. Beginning with ten sticky frog eggs, the story shows the slim odds of survival, counting down to one last “resilient” tadpole. The back matter includes an explanation of what happens on each page and additional information on tree frogs, as well as a drawing containing all 13 Costa Rican species in the book. [picture book, age 4 and up]
Armando’s Island GIVEAWAY!
We are giving away a copy of Armando’s Island. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter below. We can only mail to U.S. and A.F.O. addresses.
Called a “born storyteller” by the media, Marsha Diane Arnold is a picture book author of twenty-three books, with over one million books sold. Her books have garnered honors like Best First Book by a New Author, Smithsonian Notable, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and Green Prize for Sustainable Literature. Her Lights Out, about light pollution, has been praised by the Dark Sky and children’s lit communities and was a finalist for the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text. Marsha lives in Florida with her husband and funny dog Sailor. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, gardening, and exploring new places and ideas.
You may learn more about Marsha and her work at www.marshadianearnold.com. She can also be found at Facebook: MarshaDianeArnold. Instagram: marshadianearnoldauthor, or Twitter: @MarshaDArnold. She is represented by Karen Grencik at the fabulous Red Fox Literary Agency.
p.s. Related posts:
Top 10 Rainforest Books for Kids
6 Books on Light Pollution and the Night Sky
Destiny Finds Her Way, Sloth Nonfiction Book
STEM Picture Books with BIPOC Characters
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My books:
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
- ⭐ Starred review from Kirkus
- ⭐ Starred review from Publishers Weekly
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal
- Kirkus: The Most Anticipated Children’s Books of Spring 2026
Free and downloadable guide:
Barbed Wire Between Us Teacher’s Guide
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Gold Award
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
The Traveling Taco:
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Silver Award
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- 2025 Carter G. Woodson Book Award Middle Level Honoree
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- 2024 Julia Ward Howe Prize for Children’s Literature Winner
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year 2025
- Recommended Reading for the Social Justice Literature Award 2025 (International Literacy Association)
- Pennsylvania Mountain Laurel Book Award Nominee 2026-27
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Bookshop.org / Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Armando’s Island looks stunning! Can’t wait to read it with The Great Kapok Tree.
I have always loved The Great Kapok Tree.
I have never read a book about the Rain Forest, but thanks to this post I have started a list. I am so glad that my nieces and nephews–and now grand-nieces and -nephews!–will be learning about this topic in a way that will give them hope and inspire them to meaningful action.
The Great Kapok Tree is a cute book