This Review Is For The Birds

This Review Is For The Birds

juvenile nonfiction and fiction
Today I'm going to serve you up an ensemble review you may very
well find to be for the birds.
I like birds. OK?
The Smithsonian Institution is a heavy hitter in the natural
sciences field. Their Everything You Need To Know About Birds gives
readers a birds' eye view of these animals that have conquered every
space on earth from Antartic frozen wastes to deserts and mountains
and even man made cities. You can learn how birds help maintain the
rain forest, how scientists believe birds evolved from dinosaurs, the
mechanics of flight, bird senses, migration, and lots of other really
interesting information. Of course the pictures are amazing.
I especially enjoyed learning about the satin bowerbirds of
eastern Australia. The male carefully builds and decorates an
elaborate bower to attract a mate. When he catches a female's eye, he
does a courtship dance. How cool is that?
When Robert Bateman was an eight-year-old growing up in Canada
he spotted a black-capped chickadee. It was fascination at first
sight. From then on he spent hours looking for birds. Only he was
frustrated because he had no books to learn more about them.
Bateman's Backyard Birds can help kids have the information he
wished he had. It's very excellent for fledgling bird lovers in
northern areas like Maine. The feathered friends it features are ones
most likely to make an appearance in the most mundane of places. It
also gives information on topics like how to attract birds to your
backyard and how to help birds survive.
A good companion volume is Carol Lerner's Backyard Birds Of
Winter. Although many birds migrate south at the first sign of cold
weather, others tough it out on their home turf. Unlike mammals that
can hibernate, birds have the challenge of finding food every day
without freezing to death. Humans can help them survive and surround
their homes with beauty by putting out bird food.
Lerner gives information about the most common backyard visitors
along with beautiful pictures and maps of their usual domains. She
also gives advice on how to select foods and make and place feeders.
[Reviewer's note: if you choose to attract birds to your
backyard, please keep your cats inside. No matter how much Nine Lives
or Fancy Feast you plop in their bowls they have preditory instincts.]
Nic Bishop's Penguin Day gives readers an intimate look at
penguin family life. A baby penguin is hungry. Mama penguin joins
the other females in a arduous trek to capture fish and krill in a
treacherous, preditor filled ocean. Meanwhile Papa watches over his
little one.
Recall those birds who were credited with delivering babies to
families in the days when parents considered the facts of life
inappropriate for young minds? Kate Riggs' Storks takes readers into
their world. You can learn about the various kinds and their
lifestyles. Can you believe some are as tall as me?
Kathy Hoopman's All Birds Have Anxiety uses an amazing avian
cast of characters to talk to youngsters about a very common human
problem. Photographs of 66 amazing and often adorable avians
illustrate aspects of anxiety many children (and adults) suffer from.
Under "It's like being filled with a scream" you see a penguin with
its beak fully open. A duckling paces beside a trophy beside "We are
sure nothing we do, say or try is good enough. Even if we do well, we
are certain it was a mistake." A wide owl illustrates "Wide awake
thoughts churn in our minds." The moon over its shoulder carries many
common fears: Do my friends really like me? I bet I fail! Something
bad will happen.
Asking kids directly about how they're feeling can set defenses
up. Maybe they're afraid of getting in trouble. Maybe they don't
want to be a bother or a disappointment. But they tend to feel
strongly for animals. This book can provide a safe way to open up a
conversation with a child who realizes "Hey, that's how I feel." Kids
(or adults) caught up in the grip of overwhelming anxiety may feel
like they're the only ones with the problem...everyone else is just
fine. This can add shame and a desire to hide the problem to the mix.
In my mind All Birds Have Anxiety is a must acquire for public
and school libraries and guidance counselor offices.
Animals can bring out the best in people. Just think of St.
Francis of Assissi. Jabari Asim's Preaching To The Chickens: The
story of young John Lewis provides another example of this.
Lewis grew up on a farm where everyone had to pitch in. He was
put in charge of the chickens. There were about sixty and he knew
each as an individual. He loved church and aspired to become a
minister. Not surprisingly, his first congregation was literally his
flock.
"John's henhouse sermons became so regular that his brothers and
sisters took to calling him preacher. He didn't mind. He knew that
someday he'd speak before thousands. He hoped that his words would
stir people's souls and move them to action. For now, though, he had
his own church right here among the pine trees and rolling hills of
southern Alabama. Morning would find him in his usual place preaching
to the chickens."
[Reviewer's note: now I know I'm perfectly entitled to preach
to Joey cat. When I sing hymns he provides purrrfect accompaniment.]
Our children's librarian often presents me with must reads.
(Library volunteering does have its perks). Recently she brought a
David Shannon and its prequel to my literary attention. David Shannon
is one of the top writers in the kids will want to hear again and
again and parents won't mind obliging category.
In Duck On A Bike a farm fowl finds that he can ride a bicycle.
As he shows off for the other creatures large and small they react in
their own ways. Sheep's baaa means "He's going to hurt himself if
he's not careful." Cat's meow means "I wouldn't waste my time riding a
bike." Horse's neigh means "You're still not as fast as me, Duck."
Of course the words are anemic without the pictures. Sheep
wears a look of deep concern. Cat sprawls contentedly in the sun.
Horse twists his lips into a sneer of contempt.
Suddenly a crowd of kids leaves bikes in the barnyard. I bet
you can guess the delightful grand finale.
Duck On A Truck takes our feathered friend to a new level of
transportation competence. Somehow he manages to get the tractor
rolling and convinces the other critters, even cautious sheep, to come
along for a ride. Cruising down the main road, they catch the
attention of the people in a diner. A number of their comments will
be even more amusing to parents than to kids. The deputy's "If that
don't beat all" means "How am I gonna explain this to the sheriff?".
When the tractor runs out of gas the critters scoot back to the
barn on their own power. It's abandoned by the time the humans
arrive, allowing them to agree that the whole thing was an optical
illusion (another clever touch of adult oriented humor)
Note to parents of young kids: keep these and other David
Shannon books on hand for those inevitable days when rain cancelling a
picnic or similar unforseen obstacles cast a miasma on the day and
there's need of light hearted distraction.
Hey, if I'm counting correctly (math not being my forte with
pain killing meds in my bloodstream) that's nine fine books. Granted,
a few may be a bit of a reach. But could you do better?
On a personal note, I had the most wonderful day yesterday. One of my
church choir friends and his two delightful daughters came out to
Veazie so I could show them a really good sledding hill. After
hitting the slopes we retired to Dennys for what turned out to be
brunch. I had blueberry pancake balls with dipping sauce, fried
potatoes, and the most heavenly mango smoothie you can imagine.
A great big shout out goes out to my two chums, Mazie and Jessie, who
celebrated birthdays yesterday!!! I wish both of them an amazing and
rewarding year.
jules hathaway






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