This educational and interactive picture book immerses the reader in the strange and interwoven lifecycles of the rainforest. The beautifully illustrated pages follow the journey of a fig seedling making its own roots and leaves, growing strong, and eventually replacing the giant tree that was its host.

Something Wonderful is a beautifully illustrated books that explores mutualism and the life cycle of a fig tree. Along the way we are exposed to the fauna for which the fig tree is part of their habitat. I loved the section at the end which has a little more about certain things we see in the book. The tree frog hiding on each page to spot was certainly a crowd pleaser for my daughter. A 'wonderful' book!

Thanks #NetGalley for the eARC,

It is wonderful children's book. It teaches how rainforest works. It is beautifully written and illustrated. A easy and informative read. Perfect gift for little kids.

Something Wonderful by Matt Ritter is a beautiful book exploring the life cycle of a fig tree in the rainforest. The illustrations are wonderful and show life changing in a rainforest. The accompanying text describes what is happening in each illustration, from a seed that fell onto the branch of a tree, right up until a Toucan bird pooped out another seed and started the whole process all over again.

The reader has an opportunity to learn a lot from this book, about so many things, including wasp, pollination, interdependence of life in the rainforest and so much more! I loved that at the end of each page the sentence "and then something wonderful happened" was used as it kept up the consistency but also showed how nature really is a wonderful thing.

At the end of the book there is a short section with the scientific names of the species and a short text relating the most important facts. I can see a lot of children finding this extra section of the book really interesting! There is also a hidden game throughout where children have to find a small frog hidden on each page of the book! This adds an additional fun and interactive element to a book that is quite information heavy and I can see children going back to find it on each page, thus reading the book again. This is a great book for schools and parents to teach children all about ecosystems and would be a good resource for any library.

Another aspect I loved was the initial quote from Sir. Richard Attenborough, "An understanding of the natural world and what's in it is the source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment." .

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my own, honest opinion.

The artwork in this children book is wonderful . The concept very good and I would recommend for any parent who has a young children who is interested in animals.

There is so much going on here, but it comes together so well! We have an interesting and informative text about the life of a strangling fig tree, from the moment a seed is dropped into the jungle canopy and it lands on a tree branch, to the moment a fig is eaten by a toucan to have new seeds pooped out to grow elsewhere. The beautiful artwork is lush and inviting, and combined with the text, it feels like a documentary in book form- I swear I heard it narrated by David Attenborough (to whom the book is dedicated) in my head! Along the way we learn about the unusual way the tree grows, wrapping its host tree in a cage of roots, and the life cycle of the wasps that pollinate the fruit. At the end of the book, there is more information about the creatures shown, including the red-eyed tree frog that can be found hiding on each page of the story- seriously, find the hidden object/s is always fun! Great book for kids interested in nature and ecosystems.

#SomethingWonderful #NetGalley

Lovely illustrations with a sweet message but, in my opinion, limited appeal although I'm sure the animals will catch the imagination of younger children.

This is a great book to teach children about the cycle of life in nature. The story features the life cycle of fig trees which rely on fig wasps and toucans to spread its seeds and pollen whilst animals use the fig tree to survive. I like the find a frog on each page and the simple writing that tells the story. A great way to see the bigger picture in nature whilst enjoying the beautiful drawings.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Pacific Street Publishing for my complimentary eARC copy.

Very informative rain-forest book. A great book for kids who love birds and nature- along with an entertaining way to talk about bird poop.

This book is a window to the world of nature and biology for children. The colourful illustrations along with the short informations are enjoyable. I loved it. I would recommend it to children and anyone who is interested in nature.

Something Wonderful is fantastic. I’m a sucker for wildlife-based children’s books.

The illustrations are simple but beautiful and the information is interesting without being overly complicated (while still using some scientific language). I enjoyed that there was more information on the central flora and fauna after the story was done. There’s really not anything I could fault the book on. It had the right amount of detail within the story, with more included if the children were interested. The use of specific common names will help readers look up the species they’re interested in.
Overall, I think this is a great book for parents or teachers to introduce ecology to children.

I was given a copy of Something Wonderful by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It starts with a fig seeds that lands on a big tree in the rainforest. It grows into a tree of its own, part of the eco-system.

Something Wonderful - written by Matt Ritter, illustrated by Nayl Gonzalez - features a tiny sparkle of daily life in the rainforest. Through colourful images and simple words, it makes everything clear, from children to curious adults trying to catch up with some bits of information. However, the book requires attention and observation, when it comes to recognizing all the elements - to read, inhabitants - of the eco-system.

Although it is a very fast read, Something Wonderful is good enough to make you think and encourages further interest into the topic. The most important, in my opinion, is that it challenges the reader, regardless his or her age, to reckon to the wonderful - yet cruel sometimes - laws of nature. It might be the first step towards rising awareness towards changing the attitude of nature in general, by understanding that every single thing we do in and to our environment matters. And, unfortunatelly, it is not always something wonderful.

The illustrations are catching up, appropriate for both the topic featured and the aimed audience.

This book is a recommended read for nature-related classes but also as individual bedtime and activity stories because no matter the reason, it is never too late or too early to learn about nature, particularly the rainforest eco-system.

What a beautiful book! The illustrations are gorgeous, accentuating the lushness of the rainforest. The narrative of the fig tree's lifecycle is fascinating, with so many elements needed for it to grow. The perfect placement of the seed on a tree's canopy where it might germinate, the discovery of a mother wasp's new home, the flight path of a toucan. The red-eyed tree frog hiding in each page is an added bonus that kids will love! Sure to be a favorite!

Thanks to Pacific Street Publishing and Netgalley for this digital ARC.

I thought this was a lovely book detailing the life of a fig tree and how its life cycle is unique in its rain forest environment. I enjoyed how the author decided to explain the life cycle of the wasps which allow the tree's fruit to prosper and the introduction of how a fig seed would even get onto a mossy branch to begin with. I liked the pages devoted at the end of the book to detailing each of the animals depicted in the book and I thought the artwork was very well done.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest opinion. The first thing myself and my small kids loved was all of the bright colors on the pages and the illustrations. Bugs are never a favorite subject of mine but my 6 year old loved it. Anytime I can introduce my kids to nature and different parts of the world. This story was really full of Something Wonderful!

I found this book to be very informative, including specific information about the symbiotic relationship that exists among the fig trees in the tropical rain forest and fig wasps, red-eyed tree frogs, and chestnut mandibled toucans. I thought the text was informative, direct, and clear, providing the reader with not only the life cycle of the fig wasp, but the evolution of this type of fig tree. While I enjoyed the story, I struggled with some of the illustrations. Some of the details in the illustrations were busy and confusing, specifically in the images describing the activities of the fig wasps inside the fig flowers. While they didn't keep the reader from understanding the text, it didn't help the reader as much as it could have. Overall, I enjoyed this text and feel that it definitely has educational merit, especially in regard to pollination, symbiotic relationships, and the life cycles of trees and insects.

This is a beautiful book showing the life cycle of the fig tree in the rainforest. The illustrations are wonderful, showing life changing in the forest. The text describes what is happening with the seed that plopped onto the branch of a tree, right through until the Chestnut Mandibled Toucan pooped out a seed and started the process all over again. I learned a lot from this simple book about the wasps, the strangling of the original tree, the pollination, and the interdependence of life in the rainforest. I loved the theme of "and then something wonderful happened" as nature really is a wonderful thing. The back of the book gives more information about the wasps, the fig, the toucan and the small frog that is hidden in each illustration throughout the book. I can see children going back to find it on each page, thus reading the book again. A great book for schools to teach about ecosystems, specifically the rain forest, and the interdependence of life. This would be a good resource for any library. I loved the quote from Sir. Richard Attenborough at the beginning of the book, "An understanding of the natural world and what's in it is the source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment." The author provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

I personally enjoyed <i>Something Wonderful</i> but I'm not sure I would read it to my children if I had any. But I do think this would make a nice book for children to read on their own when they start learning to read, especially when they are interested in nature.

I have always found that the magic of the circle of life is always "Something Wonderful."And Matt Ritter strives to demonstrate this in his book that chronicles the life cycle of the fig tree.

Now, I've been eating figs my whole life. (OK, read Fig Newtons, but whatever.) And I've learned a lot about the rainforest over my years of teaching, but wasn't aware of how fig trees actually grow. Apparently the seed falls onto a tree, and as the roots grow and the fig tree grows, it actually takes over the host tree. And I never realized the part that wasps played in fertilizing the fig blossoms so that the fruit can grow. Plus the figs provide a sort of nest for the wasp offspring to hatch and grow. It's absolutely fascinating and I will never look at figs the same way again.

The drawings are definitely appealing and help to chronicle the life cycle. For added fun, a red-eyed tree frog is hidden on several of the pages for kids to find. (I love red-eyed tree frogs!)

Following the story is more detailed information about the lifecycle of the fig wasp, red-eyed tree frogs, and the chestnut-mandibled toucan, who is responsible for spreading the fig trees throughout the rain forest.

It's also dedicated to Sir David Attenborough, which is fun.

I think this book would make an excellent addition to a science area in the classroom, or just as a fun read at home.

This is such a joyful book about the life cycle of a fig tree.
Something Wonderful hyMatt Ritter and illustrated by Nayl Gonzalez, is a children's picturebook with amazing artwork.