Something Wonderful

Following an humble strangling fig tree seed from the sky throughout its life cycle right until until the fruit from the tree it grows into is eaten and another seed falls from the sky, this book is a great way of engaging children in life cycles and mutualism.

Being about the strangling fig trees, it does feature the death of another tree as well as the deaths of fruit wasps but they are presented very plainly and as the natural order of things.

Gonzalez has done a wonderful job with the artwork of this book, especially the sneaky Red-Eyed Tree Frog who is hiding on every page. I loved the find the frog feature and thought it was a great way to further engage children in this book as well as showing camouflage in practice.

I really enjoyed this one!  The illustrations are lovely and it’s very educational.  Even I learned something!  The content is informative, but entertaining, and doesn’t feel forced at all.  It provides a great avenue to teach children about nature and its cycles without being overly simplified or complicated.  I would recommend this to children about 5-6 years old.  

Thank you to NetGalley and Pacific Street Publishing for providing this ARC.

Actual rating: 3.5 / 5

I loved that this is dedicated to Sir David Attenborough.
There's so much to look at and I loved the little hidden frogs.
This was a lovely way to teach children about the lifecycle of a fig tree in one of its most natural environment. We got cameos from other species too (fauna), and a little bit about each of them at the end.
I reckon this would be a lovely learning tool for teachers in earlier learning years.

As a teacher, this is exactly the type of book I want for my students. It's very informative and children will have a great time learning about nature. The illustrations are gorgeous and give the book an unique trait that makes it the pleasant read that it is.

I absolutely adored this book. The illustrations are beautiful. Something Wonderful will definitely be added to our collection, after we have read it a few more times.

I thought this was delightful. Super charming. A wonderful overview of the rainforest and how the cycle of life involving plants, insects, and birds continues and cycles through time. I loved the find-the-frog feature and I feel like this helps with readability and also engaging kids as you read. I think it is a wonderful picture book that would be a delight to add to the bedtime repertoire!

Something Wonderful by Matt Ritter is a book that describes the life cycles of two very different beings whose lives are closely intertwined. This beautifully illustrated book (by Nayl Gonzales) explains the life cycles of a fig tree in the jungle and the wasps that adapted to grow and live with just this one tree. As he has with many others, David Attenborough inspired a deep fascinating with nature in both my fiance and me. This book is dedicated to this wonderful human being and the entire time, I was imagining him reading it to me. The book is interesting and the illustrations really enhance the experience. This book is a great way to inspire interest in the natural world in a child. The life cycle of the wasp and a closer description of other animals are included in the back of the book. It also included a cute "find me" feature on every page of the book that isn't as easy as you would think.

Something Wonderful was wonderful. Very detailed with complimentary illustrations, the author describes the life cycle of fig trees. I loved how the author weaved in local wildlife to show how the trees and the animals support each other in the ecosystem,

I received a review copy from the publisher via Netgalley.

This picture book is absolutely lovely. It explains the life cycle of fig trees in the tropics and how other animals contribute to the life of figs and how figs, in turn, help them as a food source. I was especially intrigued by the wasps. A female wasp covered in pollen and carrying eggs, enters an unripe fig fruit. There, she lays eggs and dies. The male wasps fertilize the female wasps who are still in their eggs and then chew holes out of the fruit, dying inside the fruit without ever leaving. The female wasps then collect pollen, eat as much as they can, and then fly out of the fig to find a new unripe fig, beginning the cycle anew.
It was also interesting to see how fig seeds can grow into existing trees and ultimately outgrow and kill them, even gigantic ones.

The pictures were simple but cute and effective. And I really like how the illustrator made a little hide and seek game with the frog, drawing your attention carefuly but subtle to the frog. You instantly get that he's playing a game with you and you start searching for the frog on every page.

All in all, a wonderful and fun read. Perfect for kids and adults.

Something Wonderful takes the reader on the journey through the lifecycle of a fig tree in an easy-to-follow charming ecology lesson as something wonderful happen at every stage of life.

My 3-year-old son and I loved Something Wonderful. He enjoyed finding the tree frog on each page and we both loved learning about figs, bees, and toucans. The beautiful illustrations kept my son fully engaged. 

I loved the simplicity to the information, yet how informative it was. Both my son and I learned something new. We highly recommend this book!

This book was beautifully illustrated and packed with lovely colors making it visually appealing for any reader! I adored how this book covered several different topics, like life cycles, biodiversity, and habitat. This book is probably more suitable for advanced readers, but the "Find Me" frog makes it great for any age. I especially love how the different species are talked about at the end of the book!

This was actually a topic I covered in college, and I think this book simplifies it enough for any age to understand and become engaged with it.

My son and I really adored this "wonderful" book. He is already quite interested in trees, and this was an informative look at the life cycle of a fig tree that he could understand and appreciate. We felt as though we had taken a journey into nature together, and we loved finding the frog throughout. Plus, the illustrations are truly beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pacific Street Publishing for providing this ARC.

The number of books linked to food chains and life cycles is vast. However, this book appears to present a more unfamiliar and intriguing cycle of nature. I enjoyed the vibrant illustrations and the repeated lines allow for children to join in the reading! I enjoy the sense of awe and wonder the book promotes in simple, everyday processes. A really well written book that would fit the primary national curriculum wonderfully.

An informative look at the life cycle of fig trees and the role other animals and insects play in maintaining this cycle. The information is presented in a simple way that is easy to understand, which is perhaps the best way to learn new things.

The book is visually appealing. Its illustrations by Nayl Gonzalez are detailed, the colours are lush, and the font matches the overall tone set by the art and the content. That sneaky tree frog that turns up in every page is a fun bit that would probably be great at attracting the attention of young readers (though older readers might enjoy it all the same).

A book to pick up when you're in for learning something new (and if you want to gaze at the great illustrations).

It was an informative and beautifully illustrated book. Kids would love this book, as it is informative yet simple. I loved the little game in the book, it helps the reader get more engaged with the illustrations and spot the details. Also i learnt new things from this book as an adult, it sure will teach even more to a child reading it. I recommend this book to all children who are fascinated by nature and ecosystem.

I love this informative picture book and my students will too! The beautifully illustrated pages bring to life a tranquil rainforest, and the simple text explains the life cycle of a fig tree in a way that's perfect for little learners.
Kids will absolutely love spotting the tree frog hidden on every page while they hear the story! He is well hidden too, so it can be a challenge for all the family!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Something Wonderful such an apt title for this wonderful book by Matt Ritter. This engaging tale tells the story of a rainforest fig tree and  the creatures that call it home. This book gently teaches children about ecological independence and lifecycles. The illustrations are wonderful. This book would  act as a fantastic starting point for class discussions on the important of protecting forests and wildlife. While the challenge of finding a frog on every page is sure to keep younger children engaged.This would make a wonderful addition to any classroom, or child’s bookshelf.

Something Wonderful by Matt Ritter is a lovely educational book for children. There is so much information here, from how plants are pollinated and germinate, to how ecosystems depend on even it's smallest members for wonderful things to happen. 
The illustrations are beautiful and the pages all have a tree frog hidden in the pictures- something little ones will love going back to hunt for. They'll also learn about the frog and a number of other animals and plants mentioned in the book in a fun way. 
Many thanks to Pacific Street Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Something Wonderful by Matt Ritter is a book every elementary teacher and library will want to own. Anytime I come across a book that can be used across the curriculum my radar is in high alert! This book meets the needs of teaching many instructional concepts from text features to rich grammar examples itching to notice and mimic. The mentor text this book provides makes it a value most books can not boast. Starting with the obvious, the author is a genius using an engaging way to allow us to see a small piece of an ecosystem in the rainforest as if we were looking through a pair of binoculars. Ritter pulls us into the life cycle of a fig seed and captivates us with the intricate role it plays within its own ecosystem surprising us with wasps and a toucan as supporting characters. The illustrations are mesmerizing, enticing you to follow along from the beginning and leaves you never wanting it to end. There is even a fun game of hide and seek with a tree frog along the way to keep the most reluctant reader engaged.. Much to this teacher’s delight, there are kid-friendly pages at the end with diagrams for teaching moments.

Something Wonderful was such an exciting and educational book! I really liked the story and the illustrations are beautiful. It's a great learning experience about pollination and how planet earth works. I definitely loved that it was an adventure through the rainforest! I think this is a great educational book for kids and they will enjoy it!

Something Wonderful is a very wonderfully illustrated book. (see what I did there?)

The narrative is shown off through the bright vibrant greens, the hundreds of lines detailing the bark and leaves of every tree and branch, and the detailed drawings of the toucan, frog, and wasps. The simple wording allows for a younger kid to enjoy this, while an older kid will take interest in the cycle of life at works. Even adults will learn something about the rain forest they've never known before. 

All-in-all, there's something in here for everyone, and it was an overall pleasure to read.

In his book “Something Wonderful,” Matt Ritter narrates a beautiful story about a fig tree in a tropical rainforest. Starting as a tiny seed, it eventually develops into a magnificent tree. With the assistance of a group of wasps and a chestnut-mandibled toucan, it then proceeds to produce more fig trees. This cycle of life and death maintains the perpetuity of the forest.
The illustrations by Nayl Gonzalez do more than providing a mere backdrop to the story. The readers feel they are present in the scene, witnessing the life cycle of the fig tree and the wasps. The extremely detailed pictures tell many stories, should you be observant enough to perceive them. I do not want to spoil anything for the prospective readers, but keep an eye out for the frog, will you? In addition to the aesthetic beauty, I was amazed by the way Gonzalez scales the pictures up or down. This provides a magnified view or a birds’ eye view, as required. 
The topic of the book represents a textbook example of mutualism that renders the fig tree and the wasp partners for life. Incredibly, Ritter could describe this ninety-million-years-old phenomenon in a way that would appeal to children and teenagers, not to mention the adults. This book will enlighten the readers about the intricately entwined life stories and interdependence of different life-forms. The glimpses of biodiversity in a tropical rainforest will not only educate them but also help them appreciate the natural resources our earth so generously provides.
Children of the age group of 8 to 12 years will be able to read this work on their own. Additionally, the parents might consider reading the book aloud to younger children. However, adults will also enjoy the book, especially if they are interested in the biological world. This book is, true to its title, something wonderful.

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.

Something Wonderful - Matt Ritter
Pub Date: 22 Mar 2021 
Published by Pacific Street Publishing 

This picture book would fit in well with a topic on: life cycles, rainforests, habitats, plants, eco-systems, bugs, fruit - all kinds of things! It’s ingenious because it covers so many bases! The story revolves around the life cycle of a fig tree and wasps. The pictures are cleverly put together in a way that if the child was not sure about what was happening within the text, it can be easily explained using the pictures beside it. There’s an abundance of writing opportunities linked to this book too - including information texts, diaries as the wasp, report on the life cycle of a fig etc!  A really good book for Geography and Science. Defo take a look!

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!

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.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I LOVE this book. I have read it multiple times with my 4 year old. The first time we focused on the story- which she thought was hilarious because it began and ended with poop- even though that wasn't the focus! She found the idea of wasps living in fruit on the gross side- but that's because she's terrified from flying insects. The illustrations were a tiny bit busy for her 4 year old brain when we were focusing on the story being told- but she loved them all the same. Especially the 2nd time through when we hunted for the frog on every page. 

The story was told in a straight forward way and engaged my preschooler in the idea of a life cycle and how different life-forms rely on each other to survive- while at the same time death happens so that other organisms can live. 

All in all this is a truly wonderful book.