Using a rhythmic text and a turn-it-over format, this offering explores the concept that some forest animals are diurnal while others are nocturnal. The details of the lush, almost surreal, illustrations realistically convey the creatures’ appearances and activities. The imaginative interpretation of the landscape and its inhabitants offers youngsters an unusual perspective of forest life. During daylight hours, they can observe deer splashing through a stream while an owl dozes in a nearby tree, snakes staring at sleeping foxes, and blue jays squawking as skunks snooze in a hollow log. After turning the book over to the “forest night,” readers see the deer bedded down while the owl searches for food, the foxes on the prowl as the snakes rest in a tangled bunch, and the skunks scurrying about while a jay sleeps with its head tucked beneath its wing. The strong artwork will hold children’s interest as they search for all of the hidden animals. A fun introduction to nature.
— School Library Journal (October 2005)
Forest Bright Forest Night is a beautifully illustrated book that is ideal for reading aloud to kindergarteners studying cycles or communities of organisms. Begin with the book “right-side up” and share a simple, four- or five-word rhyming phrase to describe forest organisms during the day. Then, turn the book upside down and explore the night time forest with the same delightful poetic text.
The engaging graphic design is an ideal, hands-on way to show that there is a difference in what is happening during the day and during the night. Integrating science and language arts, the author provides young children with a good introduction to animals in the forest and lets children know about what can happen to nocturnal animals during the night.
Teachers will enjoy using this book to integrate literature and science for children aged 3 through 8. If I were using this book in my classroom, I would focus on the movement and sounds of the animals to begin a nonfiction study of the forest. I would use the text as an introduction and then quickly move to informational reading about the same organisms. This book would be a good addition to a literature and science center and a motivational start to a standards-based unit.
— National Science Teacher’s Assoc. website (www.nsta.org)
Marilyn Cook (July 2005)
There are two sides to every story as illustrated in this beautiful book. Some forest animals may sleep while others are awake, no matter if it is day or night. Jennifer Ward begins her book as the sun rises and sunlight streams through the forest. The nocturnal animals are sleeping on each page while the featured animals are awake and active. One deer leaps while one owl sleeps high in a tree. The numbers of animals increase on each page up to 10. As the book continues it includes many different types of forest creatures both large and small. Then as the sun sets, the book gets flipped over to continue a night in the forest. The rich, detailed illustrations add a layer of depth to the rhyming patterns of the poetic text. There are also hidden numbers in the illustrations that will keep many children entertained as they pore over each page. This book could be used to introduce a study of forest animals, create a list of nocturnal animals, or introduce new vocabulary for animal behaviors or even where animals live and sleep. All readers will enjoy Jamichael Henertly’s illustrations as they complement this playful and rhyming account of a busy day in the forest. Recommended.
— Library Media Connection – Maureen Mooney (January 2006)
“. . . Besides the obvious – that the book is beautifully illustrated and simply told – what is marvelous and unique about this work is its recognition of two different forestall existences and its manifestation of these differences through illustration. There is no correct way to look at the book – upside down is right-side up – as readers perusing the book’s ‘By day’ section must flip the book to view the ‘At night’ section. . . The forest world springs to life with Henterly’s vivid illustrations and Ward’s playful language. The perfect after-school snack (figuratively, at least), post-dinner dessert or pre-bed read, Forest Bright, Forest Night is, in a single word, alive – and that’s why kid’s will love it.
— Toy Directory (www.toydirectory.com) (April 2005)
If you have ever wanted a great nature book for children, this is it. It is filled with beautiful, vivid color photos of our favorite furry animals portrayed in their natural habitat, scurrying, feeding, and nesting. Also, it is two books in one. Forest Bright features diurnal animals such as deer leaping, bear cubs playing, squirrels dashing about, bees buzzing, and snakes slithering around the trees and grass. While these animals are wandering about, their nocturnal counterparts nest inside the trees and logs on which they are playing. Turn the book over for Forest Night, and you will see these night-seeking animals, such as frogs flopping, beavers swimming, salamanders sliding under rocks, and skunks ambling under the moonlight while their daytime counterparts sleep and hide from prey. Bright colors adorn each page, and rhyming sentences complete this entrancing book, bringing the animals to life. Any child will feel as if he is in the forest with the animals, watching them in their natural habitat. This book would be an excellent addition to the elementary science curriculum.
— Children’s Literature – Debbie West (May 2005)
Jennifer Ward’s simple rhyme describes the activities of about 20 forest creatures by day and night in this “flip book” that can be opened and read from either the front or the back. Starting at the front, Forest Bright introduces us to diurnal forest creatures busy at work and play (e.g., “Chatter and chase … chipmunks race”). Starting at the back, Forest Night presents the cast of nocturnal characters that emerge after sunset (e.g., “Scurry and scramble … skunks amble”). Separating the day and night sections are two center pages that summarize, by day and by night, the activities and slumberings of all of the creatures. A highlight of the book is Jamichael Henterly’s beautifully realistic artwork, which depicts forest animals in their natural habitats and will keep young children busy searching for sleeping creatures’ hideouts underneath the action.
— Green Teacher (Fall 2006)
Foxes and chipmunks and bears – oh my! Open this book one way and watch the forest animals by day. Flip the book over and open it again to learn about the forest animals at night. The illustrations display no only the animal featured in the text, but also the sleeping animal at the opposite time of day.
— Learning Magazine (August 2005)
Whichever way you hold this book, the story keeps going. Open it one way and watch the animals of the forest by day, until the sun sets. Flip it over and open it again, and follow the animals of the forest at night, until the sun rises.
An experienced author and illustrator combined their extensive talents to create a day-night flip-book about animals of the forest that is both entertaining and educational.
Award-winning author Jennifer Ward has created rhyming, simple text with which children count forest animals and learn about their behavior. Hoot and perch … owl eyes search. Store and stash … squirrels dash.
Jamichael Henterly has illustrated a visually stimulating book with hidden numbers and animals. He cleverly displays not only the animal featured in the text, but also the sleeping animal that will appear at the opposite time of the day.
— County Kids (February 2006)
Who is awake in the forest? Who is asleep? Open this clever rhyming book one way to read about the forest animals active in the daytime. Then open the book the other way to read about the forest animals active at night. Students will enjoy poring over the detailed illustrations to see which animal pairs are pictured and how the scene changes with the time of day. As they learn about nocturnal and diurnal animals, students will discover something else – numbers are cleverly hidden on each page too!
— Bookbag – Literacy Ideas for Teachers (Feb./March 2006)
Jennifer Wart and Jamichael Henterly team up to provide two poetry books in one with Forest Bright, Forest Night. Ward’s rhyming text takes kids through a day in the woods when “deer splash” and “bear cubs tumble,” while Henterly’s pictures show their actions as well as the shut-eyed, curled-up stance of a snoozing owl, porcupine and other nocturnal animals. Midway, the “Forest Bright” section ends, and readers can turn the book upside down to discover what those day-dozing animals actually do at night. While the deer and bear cubs sleep, the wide-eyed owl searches for dinner and the porcupines climb moonlit logs. Budding naturalists will love returning often to this book for its intriguing design, specificity to day-and-night behavior and detailed illustrations, which convey the beauty of flora and fauna without sentimentalizing Nature. A wonderful read-aloud for Earth Day on April 22.
— Washington Parent – Mary Quattlebaum (April 2005)
Forest Bright, Forest Night is a flip-book that brings the reader back to it again and again as new details continue to emerge with close examination. It is very satisfying to look and look again at the illustrations with the reward of something new being revealed. It offers possibilities for a good read-aloud, a counting book, and a science book to name a few. I’m sure readers will find even more possibilities.
— Learning Explorations – Barbara Geiger, President (May 2005)
This book provides an easy way to introduce young children to the difference between nocturnal and diurnal animals. The illustrations by Jamichael Henterly are beautiful and complex. Children will study them in detail and look for the same things on your walks in the forest.
“Take a peek into the forest in the daytime, when some animal families play and others are asleep – then flip this book to see the same forest at nighttime, when the ones that were playing are now asleep, and families that were asleep are very busy. Be sure to count all the baby animals!”
At the end of the day, when it’s time for a bedtime story, you might be able to use this book to convince your excited learners that because they are diurnal, it’s time for them to sleep.
— South Dakota Conservation Digest (Winter 2008)
What a wonderful treat! This two-in-one book richly describes the wonders of the forest in a sing-song rhyme.
— ABA Book Sense – Summer 2005 Children’s Picks – Grace Roth
This combination of rich poetic language and captivating illustrations will excite any youngster! Creatures by night and creatures by day are revealed with imagination, spirit and wonder. The surprises that await from front to back (and back to front) will stimulate every child’s curiosity. This is an inspirational resource to savor and explore . . . and one to share again and again!
— Anthony D. Fredericks (Prof. of Educ. at York College, PA – Award-winning children’s book author)
Open it one way and read about the animals of the forest by day. Flip it over and read about the forest animals by night. The simple rhyming and fully illustrated text makes this book a perfect treat for children ages 3 to 8.
— The Westfield Leader – Marylou Morano (April 22, 2005)
Forest Bright, Forest Night by Jennifer Ward is a brilliantly illustrated flipbook. Open it one way, and see how woodland creatures spend their day. Flip it over, and read about mysterious nocturnal animals.
— Arizona Parenting – Lynda Exley (October 2005)
Forest Bright, Forest Night by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Jamichael Henterly introduces readers to both daytime and nocturnal adventures in the forest. The book is cleverly engineered so that you read the brief text about animals when the forest is bright, then turn the book around and continue your adventure in the dark.
— The Reading Teacher (May 2006)
Jennifer Ward and Jamichael Henterly have created a delightful book that shows the daytime forest animals going about their regular routines while the nocturnal animals sleep, and then shows the nocturnal animals going about their regular routines while the daytime animals sleep. The book is one that readers flip over when finished with each section. The illustrations are bright, realistic, almost like a photograph. Young children will be fascinated with looking for the hidden animals in each picture. The text is sparse and has a rhyming lilt that makes the book approachable by young children. I can see this book used by early childhood and primary teachers as a resource for a unit on animal habits. I would highly recommend it.
— Missouri State Univ. Book Review Board (December 2006)
At first, Forest Bright, Forest Night is puzzling because the reader does not know where to begin. This reversible book has Forest Night on one side, with nocturnal animals scurrying around in the dark forest, dozing off in their burrows or scouting about to look for food. Turn the book (literally, close the book, turn it upside-down and begin from the “end”) and discover Forest Bright, which shows the same animals and their different daytime behavior. this award-winning book is a great introduction to the concept of living forests, regardless of whether its night or day, and the idea that some animals are busy at night while other ones sleep. For tiny nature lovers.
— Golden Gate Mothers Group – Laure Latham Guyot (November 2008)