What Is the Amazon Rainforest?

🕐 5 min 6 sec 👦 Ages 6–8 🌍 English
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the Amazon Rainforest, learning about its size, climate, and amazing trees!
Understand what a rainforest is Learn about the tropical climate Discover the size of the Amazon Rainforest
📖 Story Script
                    Koko:
                    Owlo, I brought something to show you today! I found this big, colorful picture in a magazine at home.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Oh my goodness, Koko! That is a photograph of the Amazon Rainforest. What a wonderful find.
                
                    Koko:
                    It looks so green and huge and wild. There are trees everywhere, and it looks like it goes on forever!
                
                    Owlo:
                    You are absolutely right. The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest on Earth. It covers a massive area in South America.
                
                    Koko:
                    Wait, what does tropical mean? I have heard that word before but I am not sure what it means.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Great question! Tropical means it is near the middle of the Earth, called the equator. It stays warm and gets lots of rain all year round.
                
                    Koko:
                    So it is like being in a warm, rainy place every single day? That sounds like a lot of puddles.
                
                    Owlo:
                    It really is! The Amazon gets so much rain that the forest grows incredibly thick and tall. Some trees grow as high as a ten-story building.
                
                    Koko:
                    Wow, that is SO tall. I can barely climb the tree in the school garden, and that one is already pretty big.
                
                    Owlo:
                    You know what, Koko? I think we should visit the school library. I have a special book about the Amazon that will blow your mind.
                
                    Koko:
                    Yes! Let us go right now. I want to see more pictures!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Here we are. Now, this book has some incredible facts. Did you know the Amazon River runs right through the forest?
                
                    Koko:
                    There is a river inside the forest? How does a river fit inside a forest?
                
                    Owlo:
                    The Amazon River is actually one of the longest and widest rivers in the whole world. The forest grew around it over millions of years.
                
                    Koko:
                    Millions of years? That forest is way older than Grandma Vos, and she says she is very, very old.
                
                    Owlo:
                    The forest has been growing for a very, very long time indeed. And because of all that time, it became home to an incredible number of animals and plants.
                
                    Koko:
                    Like what kinds of animals? Are there foxes in there?
                
                    Owlo:
                    There are jaguars, river dolphins, giant otters, colorful parrots, and millions of insects. Scientists believe millions of different species live there.
                
                    Koko:
                    Millions? That is more animals than I can even count. Why do so many animals live there?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Because the rainforest gives them everything they need. It has food, water, shelter, and warmth all in one place. It is like the world's biggest home.
                
                    Koko:
                    So it is like a giant neighborhood, but for animals and plants instead of people?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly! And here is something truly amazing. The Amazon Rainforest helps the entire planet breathe. It produces a huge amount of the world's oxygen.
                
                    Koko:
                    Wait, the forest makes oxygen? Like the air we breathe right now?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Yes! Trees and plants absorb something called carbon dioxide, which is a gas we breathe out. Then they release fresh oxygen back into the air.
                
                    Koko:
                    So the trees are basically cleaning the air for everyone on Earth? That is the nicest thing I have ever heard.
                
                    Owlo:
                    It really is remarkable. That is why many people call the Amazon the lungs of the Earth. It keeps our air clean and our planet healthy.
                
                    Koko:
                    Lungs of the Earth. I like that name. It makes the forest sound really important and alive.
                
                    Owlo:
                    It is alive, Koko. And it is also in need of protection. Some parts of the forest are being cut down, which worries many scientists.
                
                    Koko:
                    That makes me feel sad. If the forest disappears, where do all those animals go? And what happens to the air?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Those are exactly the right questions to ask. That is why people all around the world are working hard to protect and preserve the Amazon.
                
                    Koko:
                    I want to help too. Even if I am just seven, maybe I can do something someday.
                
                    Owlo:
                    You already are helping, Koko. Learning about the Amazon is the very first step. You cannot protect something you do not understand.
                
                    Koko:
                    That is a really good point, Owlo. Okay, so what did I learn today? Let me think for a second.
                
                    Koko:
                    The Amazon Rainforest is the biggest tropical rainforest on Earth, and it is in South America. It has the Amazon River running through it, and millions of animals and plants call it home. The trees make oxygen for the whole planet, so people call it the lungs of the Earth. And even though it is being threatened, people are working to protect it. Also, it rains there a lot, which means a lot of puddles, which honestly sounds kind of fun.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That was a perfect summary, Koko. Next time, maybe we can explore what life looks like on the forest floor, up in the treetops, and everywhere in between.
                
                    Koko:
                    Yes! I want to know about the animals that live way up high in the trees. That sounds like the best neighborhood to live in.