On the Banks of the Amazon/En las orillas del Amazonas
By Nancy Kelly Allen
Illustrated by Elizabeth Driessen

This bilingual story, told in both English and Spanish is an exciting romp down the Amazon River with two hunters who aim and shoot repeatedly at various denizens of the jungle including howler monkeys, a jaguar, frogs, snakes and other creatures. The end of the story reveals that they are shooting with cameras, which makes us feel much better about the journey.

All pages are bordered by illustrations that complement the text and pictures. Elizabeth Driessen has captured the marvelous animals and plants of the remote Amazon basin in bright energetic watercolor illustrations. This is a wonderful introduction to the rain forest habitat and the animals that live there.

Raven Tree Press specializes in bilingual materials for early readers, and this story is told in both English and Spanish to complement classroom educational goals for learning a second language. The back of the book contains a glossary of vocabulary words in both languages. Although a key to the pronunciation would be helpful, that is not included.