The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest (Rise and Shine)

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Cause & effect (...and how that lead to sequence of events; animals talk about how one action builds on the devastation of the rainforest); how humans cause damage and how it affects the animals The fibers obtained from the tree are also used in acoustic and thermal isolation. The Kapok Tree’s Symbolism The story of The Great Kapok Tree is told in the third person and follows the journey of two men that enter a forest. One man leaves while the other is confronted with a large tree (The Great Kapok). He attempts to cut it down but is unable to and falls asleep. The different rainforest animals around him whisper their individual reasons not to cut the tree down in his ear while he is unconscious. At the end a child whispers in his ear and he wakes up. To then look at the tree, turn around and leave. This element of a cliff hanger and suspense provides many different opportunities for the children to talk about and develop.

Also, in the daylight, the kapok tree provides food and shelter for several different species like monkeys, frogs, birds, and various insects. It’s a fictional story (based on realistic themes) in which a man enters the rainforest with the intent of chopping down the Great Kapok Tree, which is home to many of the animals who live there. Tired, he takes a nap, and many of the native creates – including a boy from the Yanomamo tribe, talk to him in his sleep about the importance of the tree and attempt to persuade him to stop. He wakes up and has a change of heart.

Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. Make a list of animals shown in the book. Could you use a Venn diagram or a Carroll diagram to sort them in different ways? Why do people cut down the trees in the rainforest? Can you find out why? What can we do to protect rainforests? Look at the front cover of the book. How many different animal species can you see? How are they similar / different? The flowers of this tree are a primary source of nectar and pollen for bats and honey bees. The tree produces white and pink flowers.

No one notices the jaguar “because his spotted coat blended into the dappled light and shadows of the understory.” Can you find out about other animals that use camouflage?The anteaters tell the man, “what happens tomorrow depends on what you do today.” Can you think of an example of when this has come true? What can you do today to make a positive change for tomorrow? The following video gives more information about the book and the rainforest. Could you create a similar video (or a written / audio report)? Character’s perception changes (beginning of story doesn’t notice all around him; after he wakes us realizes the beauty surrounding him--this requires multiple rereadings to really compare/contrast differences)

Make a glossary of words related to the rainforest. Can you find some examples in the book? Could you write definitions for the words? The scientific name for the kapok tree in the plant kingdom is Ceiba Pentandra. It is known by several names like Java cotton, Java kapok, silk-cotton, or samauma. The name ‘kapok’ comes from the cotton-like pile acquired from the seed pods of these trees, which is a Malay-derived name and is known by many other names in different regions. It is mainly cultivated for its cotton-like seed fiber, which is used for different purposes and is very famous in south-east Asian countries.

Make a persuasive poster to encourage people to support charities that help to protect the rainforests of the world. Gerry said, "I think it was sad and it made you think about what causes global warming. In the future, instead of breathing oxygen from trees, you will breate oxygen from tanks."

a b c Ellen J. Bartlett. "A colorful story to make kids earth-lovers". Boston Globe. April 24, 1990. 25.The leaf buds of a kapok tree appear in January and February just when the kapok tree flowers open. The kapok is an emergent tree found in dry and gallery forests. You can also find some species in secondary forests. This book still rather annoyed me, though, following a bit too close to one of the lines that I find extremely afrustrating in much of the conservation literature, etc. Namely, that the "Bad Guy" is the one who cuts down the trees (or hunts the wildlife, or...)and--that's it! rather than going the extra distance to show that, well, WHY is he cutting down the trees!? It's not just for fun. Is it that he is greedy? Well, perhaps. Or perhaps he is simply trying to provide for his family who might otherwise starve as native ways of life fade and industrialism creeps into all corners of the globe. And, further, would he be cutting down the trees if there was not a market for the wood or land--perhaps we should look deeper, to someone else down the line, all the way down the line, to the end-consumer??? These books do not reach far enough!!! Now, I'm not saying that I don't buy new things--I'm certainly not as "green" as I want to be--but I do try to be aware of how much I'm buying, from where, and what the impact may be if I'm not sometimes buying used or buying from sustainable sources. I think that environmental-message books for kids do a disservice to them if they simply stop at showing a South American man (dressed in "Western" clothes) attempting to chop down a Kapok tree... Make the children aware of their place in all this (or, at least, their parents' place) and this will give them also a greater sense of empowerment. I mean, as a kid I always though, well, gosh, OF COURSE I want to save the whales, of course I wouldn't cut down trees, of course I wouldn't hunt elephants! But, I didn't really realize how I could do anything about it until I started to talk it over with my parents.