View source for Rainforest Masks: Ten 3D Rainforest Masks to Press Out and Make by Gavin Rutherford and Tanya Batrak

{{infobox1
|title=Rainforest Masks: Ten 3D Rainforest Masks to Press Out and Make
|author=Gavin Rutherford and Tanya Batrak
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Crafts
|summary=Ten stunning masks to pop out and make: slightly fiddly in places and adult help might be required by younger children, but the result ''is'' stunning.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=No
|pages=68
|publisher=Ivy Kids
|date=February 2017
|isbn=978-1782404439
|cover=Rutherford_Rainforest
|aznuk=1782404430
|aznus=1782404430
}}

I have been having the most tremendous fun making rainforest masks: you know the effect that you get when a really talented face artist does a young child's face and you ''see'' the tiger?  Well, this is an even better result and it's in 3D.  All the creatures are, as you would expect, from the rainforest regions of the world, but there's decidedly more here than the usual suspects.  You get a green iguana, toucan, jaguar, emperor tamarin, blue morpho butterfly, red-eyed tree frog, Brazilian tapir, giant otter, blue-and-yellow macaw and the emerald tree boa.  Never heard of some of them?  Well, don't worry: the book is gently educational, with a paragraph telling you just enough about the creature.

We begin with some general instructions about making the masks.  Although it says that there isn't any cutting out, this refers to the mask itself.  You will require scissors to cut the headband pieces and a PVA glue stick.  All the main mask pieces press out (and do so quite easily) and you will need to fold down the numbered tabs - these will then need to be glued to the numbered glue area.  It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is!  You'll also need patience at this stage - let the glue dry completely before you attempt to do anything with that piece.  It's easiest to follow the numbers consecutively too.  Each mask has its own set of instructions.

The headband pieces need to be cut and glued to the finished mask.  They can be held by cutting diagonal slits in the headbands (and there's quite a range of fittings available) but I found this to be the weak point: if a child is at all enthusiastic about removing the mask the paper does tear.  The paper is of good quality (it is an Ivy book after all!), but it is paper rather than card.  Paperclips are suggested as an alternative, but these can catch in long hair.  I found that punching a hole in the headband, reinforcing it (or doubling it over, if possible) and using a {{amazonurl|isbn=B000I6NS5A|title=treasury tag}} worked best of all.

It's fun.  It's gently educational and helps to develop manual dexterity and the idea that you need a little patience to achieve something worthwhile.  The cover price is £9.99, which works out at just about £1 a mask  There are not that many things you can do with those benefits for such a small price.  Recommended.

The thoughtful child might also enjoy [[Origami, Poems and Pictures by The British Museum]].  You might also enjoy [[The Little Book of Colouring: Animal Kingdom by Amber Anderson]] but ''Rainforest Masks'' is decidedly the better book.

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[[Category:Children's Non-Fiction]]
[[Category:Gavin Rutherford]]
[[Category:Tanya Batrak]]