Splitter, splat, splash!" As a rainstorm "thrums" through the treetops, a tropical forest comes alive. Vibrant words and sensory impressions bring the creatures' noisy cacophony and slithering, swooping motions up close, while gracefully incorporated facts convey a surprising amount of information about basic survival. Each spread describes rain forest animals, from tiny scissor-jawed ants to white-tailed deer as they search for food, fend off enemies, and protect their young. Guiberson doesn't shy away from the realities of predators and death: an eagle carries off a cute capuchin monkey in her talons--dinner for her hungry chicks. But the author balances the heavier facts with lighter ones. The proportions of the animals in Jenkins' paper-cut collages may occasionally confuse children: on one spread, a mouse and sloth appear to be the same size. But the artist's colorful, textured images create a rich sense of atmosphere, and the precise details and lively compositions will easily draw children back to the text. Final spreads of a scientist, suspended in the forest canopy as she studies medicinal plants, reinforce how humans, too, are part of life in the wild forest. Gillian Engberg Copyright c American Library Association. All rights reserved