Best Books, Kirkus Reviews
Lasting Connection Title, Book Links
Junior Library Guild Selection
Notable Children’s Book, American Library Association (ALA)
Best Books of the Year, Honorable Mention, The Huffington Post
John Burroughs Young Readers Award, John Burroughs Association/American Museum of Natural History
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction, Honor Book, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
Best Books for Kids, New York Public Library
Noteworthy Books for Childrens and Teens, Capitol Choices

Using the framework of the Spanish alphabet, this bilingual nonfiction book introduces readers to a cloud forest in the Andes; the plants, animals, and other organisms found there; and the newly-identified olinguito, a South American mammal.

Alto, alla arriba en los Andes brilla un bosque bordado de bromelias…

High up in the Andes blooms a brilliant forest embroidered with bromeliads …

With lyrical text in both Spanish and English, we travel to the magical world of a cloud forest in the Andes of Ecuador. We discover the bounty of plants, animals, and other organisms that live there as we help a zoologist look for the elusive olinguito, the first new mammal species identified in the Americas since 1978. Not your usual ABC book, the alphabet is an organizing feature to introduce children to rich vocabulary as they learn about a unique environment.

Thoroughly researched and exquisitely illustrated with colorful, realistic images, the book is a visual delight while it provides a wealth of information. Backmatter includes articles about cloud forests and the discovery of the olinguito in 2013, and an extensive glossary with the scientific names of the species pictured. This is a unique book to treasure on many levels.