“One day Orangutan heard a faint noise. Hardly a noise at all – just a distant droning. Then there was a crash! Smoke seeped through the canopy…”

The Emerald Forest is a beautiful picture book which can be enjoyed on many levels. The story explores life in the forest for an Orangutan and her family. She teaches her babies what food to eat, how to swing through trees, how to build a sleeping nest. Life is good… until one day a monstrous machine tears Orangutan’s tree from the ground. The family have to leave the emerald forest – but where can they go to? For this little family – and hopefully, others – on the tropical island of Sumatra, there are human friends working for their survival and safety.

This powerful and moving picture book is set in tropical Sumatra, an island that has lost almost half its rainforest cover in recent years. The story graphically describes the reactions of an orangutan family to the destruction of their age-old home, but also shows how wildlife campaigners are bringing hope for the future. The jewel-like illustrations in this book are beautiful and help the readers immerse themselves in the beauty of the emerald jungle.

If your child enjoyed our mystery book this week, more information can be found on the National Geographic for kids website below.

Orangutan (nationalgeographic.com)