Welcome to Marianne's Web Site

Jeanette Canyon creates her art with an array of colors, patterns and textures, all sculpted from POLYMER CLAY. The reliefs are then photographed so the illustrations are practically tactile.

The book has created so much excitement; teachers and students have shared so many wonderful ideas.

Recently students at St. Joseph's School in Melbourne, FL sang the rain forest song at their Book Fair behind an amazing rainforest background Pre-K to Grade 6 art classes created.

In November, I was welcomed in Tampa at Mabry Elementary with many wonderful displays of my books in their media center. Here is just one in the column to the right!

School Library Journal review
"A variation on the familiar song, this one enumerates some of the unusual fauna of the rain forest. It not only spot-lights some of the animals-marmosets, parrots, honey bears, leaf cutter ants, etc. but also offers pertinent information on the habitat. Berkes describes the different layers of the rainforest and its importance to our global ecology and suggests movement activities for children to act out the rhyme. The unusual and colorful illustrations are made with polymer clay and then photographed, giving them a three-dimensional look. Each spread has the text and a number on the left against a dark-green leaf background, and shows one animal family with the correct number of babies as well as several other sets of indigenous flora or fauna to count. A long double page shows all the levels of the rain forest in cross section, and children are challenged to count the animals previously encountered and now hang-ing on the vines and hiding underneath the trees, etc. This is a handsome book on an important subject, and it can serve as recreational reading as well as an introduction to a basic unit on the rain forest."

Children's Literature review:
"Adding perfectly to the exotic rainforest theme, Jeanette Canyon's beautiful polymer clay illustrations will be the first feature to draw the reader's attention to this entertaining counting book. Skillfully using the traditional tune "Over in the Meadow," Berkes describes the activities of rainforest babies from a wide variety of animals, swinging the readers along like the marmosets she begins with, and inviting them to sing like the five baby parrots by including the music in the back. If the fun rhythm and pictures were not enough, other back matter, including information about each animal mentioned, the rainforest in general, a finding game, and recommendations to encourage child participation both from the author and the artist, make this picture book an excellent teaching tool on many levels."

Awards keep coming!
July 2007: "Jungle" received an iParenting Media Award.
For more info about this prestigious award, go on to iParentingMedia.com.
March 2008: "Jungle" is a winner of the Mom's Choice Award.
April 2008: "Jungle" is an IRA Teachers Choice for 2008.
May 2008: "Jungle" won a PMA Benjamin Franklin Gold Award.
March 2009: The book is one of ten picture books selected for the NYRA's 2010 Charlotte Award. Primary students in New York will vote for their favorite book in the 2009-2010 school year.
NYSRA website.

Reproducible Bookmarks
Four (morpho butterfly, boa constrictor, conure parrot and poison dart frog) of the ten rain forest animals that are portrayed in this book, are available as bookmarks. E-mail Marianne to request reproducible copies and have fun learning about these amazing creatures.

NOW AVAILABLE! Board book version (24 pages, $7.95) for young ones released Sept. 2008! Hardcover ($16.95) and paperback ($8.95) are 32 pages for older students with additional information about the rainforest, a glossary and "Tips from the Author" and "Tips from the Illustrator."

AND...AUDIO CD's are now available for both this book and "Over in the Ocean, in a Coral Reef." I read the story and sing the song, so children can join in. Cost is $6.00 or $10.00 for both and can only be ordered through me, so please e-mail for more info.