Elementary Library

Resource & Discussion Guide

Tree of Wonder: The Many Marvelous Lives of a Rainforest Tree by Kate Messner (577.34 MES) Looks at the various animals that live in an almendo tree. Discussion prompts: ●​ What does the word “wonder” mean? Examine the cover. Why do you think this book is called Tree of Wonder? ●​ Direct students to flip the book open to the endpapers and identify all the animals they can spy in 10 seconds. ●​ Why are the butterfly’s wings blue on one side and brown on the other? How does this coloring enable them to survive? ●​ Have students study the image of the poison dart frogs. The author says they have “sticky toes.” Why is this characteristic important for the poison dart frogs? ●​ Using both the illustrations and the text provided by the author, ask students to compare and contrast the keel-billed toucan and the great green macaw. ●​ Why do leafcutter ants remove leaves from almendro trees and carry them to their nests. Does removing the leaves damage the trees? Why or why not? ●​ In what ways do the animals depend on the tree, and in what way does the tree depend on the animals that make their home there? Over and Under the Rainforest by Kate Messner (591.734 MES) Under the canopy of the rainforest, hundreds of animals make their homes--from the slender parrot snake to the colorful poison dart frog. But up in the trees hides a whole other world, where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call, capuchin monkeys swing from the vines, and sleek-furred jaguars rule the night. . . Discover the wonder and activity that lie hidden among the roots, above the winding rivers...and under the brilliant green trees of the rainforest

Discussion prompts: ●​ What characteristics of a jaguar help it be a successful hunter at night? ●​ Why do certain animals live in different parts of the rainforest or tree? ●​ What traits help monkeys live in the canopy of trees in the rainforest? ●​ Do rainforest animals depend on each other? How?

Over and Under the Canyon by Kate Messner (591.754 MES) Over the canyon, the sun scalds the air, and bakes the [Anza-Borrego Desert] mud to stone. But under the shade of the canyon hides another world, where bighorn sheep bound from rock to rock on the hillside, roadrunners make their nests in sturdy cacti, and banded geckos tuck themselves into the shelter of the sand. This book takes readers on a journey through the wonders concealed in the curves of the canyon, and all the secret life hidden in its arms Discussion prompts: ●​ What did you learn about canyon ecosystems from reading this book? ●​ How do the illustrations enhance your understanding of the plants and animals found in canyons?

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