The Great Kapok Tree (Paperback)

One day, when Lynne Cherry was a young girl, she lay down in the grass and closed her eyes. When she opened them a few moments later, several goldfinches (yellow birds) were fluttering gently near her face. That moment was very important to her--she realized then that if she was quiet and patient, small animals would come near her. Lynne has always loved nature. Even as a young girl, when she wasn't writing stories or reading, she would spend time in the woods near her house drawing everything she saw. She says that nature inspires her imagination to take flight and lets her dream of other places to write about. Writing books that invite children to take a look at their surroundings and appreciate nature is very important to Lynne. In fact, she is the founder and director of the Center for Children's Environmental Literature, which is an organization that believes kids can connect to their environment through literature or "hands-on" experiences. Her books have won several awards, including ABA's Pick of the List, NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and the IRA Teacher's Choice. Some of her books are based on the small books she wrote as a young girl. Lynne received a BFA from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, and then went on to receive her MA in History at Yale University. A fun fact: Lynne enjoys traveling to learn about different places. She visited Brazil's Amazon rainforest to write her book, THE GREAT KAPOK TREE.