Where the Forest Meets the Sea: 1

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I really enjoyed how the little boy thinks back to all the things that the tropical forest (in North Queensland, Australia) has seen over the years, like dinosaurs roaming and aboriginal children playing in the huge trees. Students can make a list of other things the father might say to his son about the Daintree Rainforest. It could be a place they go to on holiday, somewhere in their home or back yard, or maybe a community park. Students are to complete three versions of this worksheet imagining the perspectives of the little boy in the book, the Aboriginal children, and one of the children on the last page of the book.

I really enjoyed this story and especially loved the illustrations in the book, as they are in fact photos of handmade collages made by Jeannie Baker herself. Have them complete the think board (PDF, 105KB) exploring the elements of the place and what makes it special. The last page has a very different feel and gives an image of a modern beach with hotels and ice-cream.

And I certainly appreciate the message of wanting to preserve the forest because it becomes but a distant memory itself. We go from seeing extinct and pre-historic animals, to seeing the furture vast developments of green-land becoming industrialised. Using different coloured markers, highlight the similarities and differences between the coast and the rainforest. You want to put your hand on the pages and feel the different textures, except it is just normal paper.

Although there aren't many sentences in the book, it nevertheless is suitable for children up to key stage 2 on the basis that the intricate pictures can get children to talk about it. As in her previous picture books, Baker (Window; Where the Forest Meets the Sea) uses her exceptional ""collage constructions,"" crisply photographed here, to make an environmental statement. And honestly, if I found out they were the vampire type of people, I'd erase their work from my mind).

Create a Mind Map/ talk about sustainability using the following questions as prompts: Why does the author suggest the forest might be gone?

At the end of the book the boy sagely asks the question, “Will the forest still be here when we come back? Students will also create speech bubbles and written dialogue for one or more of the characters and place them in an appropriate spot on the pictures.Upper key stage two and lower key stage three can use this book for geography as the book allows discussion of the environment and the impact of civilization on certain environments. It isn't my favourite book of Baker's but I do like it and I recommended it as a way to see a creators growth. Gorgeous collage illustrations highlight this cautionary tale about a tropical rain forest in North Queensland, Australia. What really appeals to me about this book are the illustrations which are collages constructed from different materials including modelling clay, papers, natural materials and paints.

Although not a "Where's Waldo" type book, one can find various things "hiding" in the pictures: a snake here, a bird there, an Aboriginal child in a tree, etc. Within this role she has worked in the U Can Read program, helping families that have children who struggle with reading. The children’s menu has healthy, kid-friendly options and the owner, Michelle, regales us with tales of cassowaries, lightning strikes and wild tropical storms.

This would be great in many subject areas such as creative writing, geography, PSHE, drama and history. Through a short oral presentation, students should demonstrate an understanding of the features of the different environments, and how the characters interact with it. A boy and his father travel in their boat, ‘Time Machine’, to a stretch of beach beside a primordial tropical rainforest. In groups, students are to plan a presentation of a persuasive piece to raise awareness of the plight of the rainforest.