Amazon Basin

Tuwenowa lives in the heart of the Amazon River Basin, home to the largest tropical rain forest in the world. For Yanomama people such as Tuwenowa and his family, the jungle provides everything they need-from thatching for their huts to the tropical fruits, animals, and fish they eat.The rainforest is the birthplace of the centuries-old traditions of Yanomama culture. The people celebrate life with songs of thanks and mark death with special rituals. By learning these customs from his father, a tribal shaman, Tuwenowa hopes to uphold the Yanomama way of life as he grows up.

JAN REYNOLDS is an award-winning author and photographer of children's books whose work has also appeared in numerous publications, including National Geographic, The New York Times, and Outside magazine. An avid skier, mountain climber, and adventurer, Reynolds enjoys traveling the world and immersing herself in little-known cultures. She lives with her husband and their two sons in Stowe, Vermont.