Rain Forest Secrets

For whatever reason I'm noticing things this spring and summer, I've never noticed before.  There appear to be more of everything in my little corner of the natural world; more pine cones, maple seeds, blossoms on all my perennials, weeds, and a boom in the insect population.  Last week I noticed a particular bush next to my deck was not only loaded with flowers but hundreds of honey bees were swarming, gathering pollen, small bunches of yellow clinging to their legs.  Unlike yellow jackets, who attack with seemingly unprovoked glee, the bees allowed me to get close and watch their work.

Learning to listen not only to people but our natural world is an important lesson.  Each day parts are being played, vital roles in a chain of events crucial to the planet's numerous ecosystems continuing to function.  No Monkeys, No Chocolate (Charlesbridge) by Melissa Stewart and Allen Young with illustrations by Nicole Wong gives readers a greater appreciation and understanding of the intricate balance that brings chocolate into our lives.

Chocolate chip cookies.
Chocolate ice cream.
Moist, fudgy brownies.
What makes all these desserts so delicious?

The mouth-watering, delectable answer to that question is chocolate.  But what dots need to be connected to give us this food?  First a journey is in order, a journey to the tropical rain forests of Central and South America.

We readers follow, page by page, as each element is introduced.  Cocoa beans, cocoa pods, cocoa flowers, midges, cocoa leaves, maggots, cocoa stems, lizards, cocoa roots, fungi, and back to cocoa beans and yes, monkeys.  It's interesting to note how every step of the way the various parts of the tree, the flora, relies on some form of fauna and fungi to function.

Readers become further acquainted with each part through a careful, clear explanation of a particular process or detailed description of the object itself.  Cocoa beans are dried in the sun before being roasted, then washed and squished, thirty to forty beans are found in a pod, small, lumpy footballs, encased in a white material not unlike thick slime or hungry midges feast on cocoa pollen, unknowingly spreading it from blossom to blossom. The purpose of coffin flies (the name is a clue) in the control of leaf-cutter ants is a cringe-worthy but crucial fact.  You can't help but feel your wonder growing for the intricate workings of this particular cycle.

In one of the more interesting explanations of how a book is born, Melissa Stewart outlines the various stages she pursued over the course of ten years.  In the finished title the presentation of information is done using a three-layer technique; the specific terms, an elaboration on each and the commentary of two bookworms.  These insightful but humorous conversations begin as early as the front cover of the book and continue to the back.  The back and forth banter between the duo serves to supply balance.  For example after a description of the anole's connection to the cocoa tree---

Wow! No lizards, no chocolate.
That's right.  They eat the insects that harm cocoa stems.
Maybe we should send them a thank-you note.

Even without the timeline, the thorough research of Stewart is evident as is her knowledge of what to include for her intended audience.  Readers are told precisely what can be seen, what happens, but through using language understandable to them. Every reader will take away new information.


All of the illustrations by Nicole Wong are rendered in ink and watercolor.  Each are double-page spreads including the matching jacket and cover with the exception of the initial title page and Cocoa and Rain Forests, What You Can Do to Help and Author's Note pages.  Like the work of Melissa Stewart each representation is done with accuracy conveying to readers a true sense of the tropical rain forest.

Whether depicting a panoramic vista, a close-up, or a cutaway, the details are intricate; three tiny caterpillars are crawling away from a chewed leaf, a vibrant parrot is perched on the edge of the frame for the cocoa beans drying, a midge crawls from the inside of a blossom and roots finger their way through the ground.  Her delicate lines, colorful hues and shading are full of life.  The layout and design, in particular for the two bookworms, is eye-catching.  In the lower right-had corner of the two page illustrations a corner is turned up giving a space for the two.  That page curl is a perfect match to the next page.  One of my favorite illustrations is of the cocoa flowers forming the pods.


No Monkeys, No Chocolate by Melissa Stewart and Allen Young with illustrations by Nicole Wong is a work of nonfiction rising above other titles for its authenticity in text and pictures.  Even after several readings I found myself actively engaged each time, looking for added items in the visuals and marveling at the knowledge I was gleaning from the writing.  I highly recommend this book to be included in library and classroom collections.

Please follow the links embedded above to the author's and illustrator's websites.  The ten-year timeline is a must see, containing videos, portions of drafts and artist sketches.  Here are links to a word search and a secret note shown at Melissa Stewart's website.  A reader's theater and teacher's guide can be accessed by following this link to the publisher website.

Caution-Do Not Read Before Eating

Students continually gravitate toward nonfiction.  Once they get hooked on a topic, soaking up information like sponges, they can't get enough.  The way they crave trivia would lead one to believe we are growing a generation (and have been for quite awhile) of future participants on Jeopardy.

Wandering through the public library children's section a couple of days ago, a title caught my eye, mainly because of the slobbering dog on the cover.  When I read the title and saw the author's name, I knew I had found another book to help me fill my book gap challenge.  To say I was riveted to each and every page of  Animal Grossapedia (Scholastic, October 2012) by Melissa Stewart would be an understatement. Once I started, there were no pauses.

SNOT. POOP. PEE. We humans think these gross, gooey, stinky substances are totally disgusting!
But here's a surprise: Some animals have a very different view of this yucky stuff.

With those first two sentences in the introductory paragraph I was about ready to jump in with both feet, figuratively of course.  But when I read the last two sentences, I was good to go until all 112 pages were consumed...er....read.

Want to know more?  Well, UR-INE luck.

Dedicating a single page, usually two, to fifty-eight different creatures, those living on and under the earth, swimming in the water, fresh and salt, flying, creeping, crawling, walking or climbing, hunters and the hunted, from all corners of the world, we read, learn and, yes, it's usually gross.  The first twenty plus pages discuss the ins and outs of  poop.  There are those who design balls weighing fifty times more than they do so their young can feed, many who eat it for digestion and protection.  Want more food?  Line your homes with feces to lure in bugs.  Drop bombs on your enemies, spray it everywhere because you can, and use it to fertilize your own food crops.

Shifting the focus, Stewart reveals how the animal kingdom utilizes urine to perfection.  It's a shield against foes, a cologne for courting, and a communication tool; I'm bigger than you are or this is my space, keep out.  It's a trail for finding your way home, drop by drop.

Mucus and slime are beneficial tools in the animal trade.  Secreting it as a coat of armor, using it to secure one's position, or as a numbing agent against hungry predators, it works wonders.  Without the slim on it's body an earthworm would be unable to breath in oxygen; five hearts but no lungs.

Spit and spitting builds strong bodies, houses and is deadly when dealing with certain critters.  Or in the case of pigs, it's the best perfume on the market to attract a mate.  It's an air conditioner on those hot summer days and the best kind of soap for cleaning.

Big ears, blood suckers and squirters are given their due.  Breath-holders and regurgitators are included too.  What a frog does after a bad-tasting meal is disgusting but amazing at the same time; as are all the facts contained in the pages of this volume.


Melissa Stewart has devoted her life to writing nonfiction science books for children.  With more than 150 titles to her credit, her delivery is informative and highly engaging through her humor and easy conversational style of presentation.  It's easy to imagine her reading the segments in this book aloud to an audience.  Here are a couple of examples.

When a boy is trying to get a girl's attention, he might give her flowers or candy.  But that's not what a male goat does.  Not by a long shot.

The instant that super sticky mucus nabs an unsuspecting insect, the tongue's suction power hurls the prey into the chameleon's mouth.  The victim doesn't stand a chance!


Large chunky letters announce each animal in different colors.  That same color provides the background for the text.  Bright, colorful photographs document the narrative.  For most of the two page spreads, a large one dominates with several smaller visuals on the other page.  Sometimes a cutout of the animal will be placed within the text.

Any word which is included in the Words To Know section in the back is given a larger and different font within the discussion.  Each explanation is started with a specialized font in the shape of an animal.  "W" is the body of a weasel, "J" is the body of a jaguar, or "R" has a raccoon peeking through the hole with its tale curled around.  You can see "N" is for newt on the cover.

In addition to the Words To Know pages, readers can view the Contents in the beginning and Find Out More resources and an Index in the back.


Make no mistake about it, Animal Grossapedia by Melissa Stewart will cause you to at least think if not say "ewww" but readers will be glued to the writing style and the details it contains.  For individual readers or even as a read aloud, this is nonfiction meant to be shared.  Animal Grossapedia is the recipient of the National Science Teachers Association--Children's Book Council Outstanding Science Trade Book recognition for 2013.  By following the link embedded in the book title you are taken to its page within Melissa Stewart's website.  The link embedded in her name takes you to a page where she speaks about why she writes her books.  You can read the NSTA review by following the link attached to their name.