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Summary
Summary
David Elliott's witty verse takes flight with gorgeous illustrations in an enchanting look at fifteen avian species for birders of all ages.
Take to the sky to explore a glorious array of all things avian, from the tiny, restless hummingbird to the inscrutable horned owl to the majestic bald eagle. David Elliott and Becca Stadtlander bestow a sense of wonder onto such common birdfeeder visitors as the sparrow, the crow, and the cardinal and capture the exotic beauty of far-flung fowl like the Andean condor, the Australian pelican, and the Caribbean flamingo. Concise, clever verse from an award-winning author pairs with striking artwork from a debut illustrator to make this a true pleasure for anyone who loves birds.
Author Notes
David Elliott is the award-winning author of many books for children, including several books of poetry for the very young, On the Farm, In the Wild, and In the Sea, all illustrated by Holly Meade. He lives in Warner, New Hampshire.
Becca Stadtlander was raised in Kentucky and received her BFA in illustration from the Maryland Institute of Art. This is her first picture book. She lives in Middletown, Rhode Island.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Starred Review. K-Gr 3-Poetry flutters across the pages of this lovely book. Each selection is a short, spot-on depiction of a different species of bird. While these are not lengthy verses describing the birds in great detail, each poem is witty and thoughtful and enlivens its subject. The detailed acrylic illustrations complement the poems beautifully, and every bird seems to come alive on the spacious spreads. They are shown in realistic habitats, often in graceful movements that echo their natural elegance. Many of the pieces have a rhythmic, chirping quality that make them perfect read-alouds. Bird lovers, poetry enthusiasts, and children looking for a fun read will flock to this stunning title.- Ellen Norton, White Oak Library District, Crest Hill, IL (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Elliott (On the Farm; In the Wild) adds a celebration of birds to his collection of lighthearted animal poetry. The subjects range from familiar backyard neighbors to birds best from nature documentaries: the Andean condor, the puffin, and the bowerbird ("Nature's fussy,/ lovesick architect"). Some are described in rhyming verse, while others are captured in telegraphic, haikulike fragments. In "The Macaw," accompanied by newcomer Stadtlander's painting of the bird's wildly colored plumage, Elliott writes simply, "Who/ spilled/ the/ paint?" Stadtlander has the challenging job of following in the footsteps of Elliott's late collaborator Holly Meade (to whom Elliott dedicates this book). Stadtlander paints the birds with meticulous care, framing them against majestic, muted backgrounds whose overcast skies lend a somber feel. In one spread, the bent legs and swooping necks of courting Japanese cranes form an elegant frieze of classical dimensions. While the seriousness of the images is sometimes at cross-purposes with Elliott's humor, it's just right for the poet's more lyrical moments, as when a bald eagle "circles like a prayer,/ on the rising columns/ of the shining,/ sun-warmed air." Ages 3-7. Illustrator's agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Agency. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
In this companion to On the Farm (rev. 3/08) and its fellows (In the Wild, rev. 9/10; In the Sea, rev. 1/12), sixteen poems about birds are set against sumptuous landscapes. The poems range from brief, pithy, and humorous (the puffin "is unique -- / especially / its beak") to more lyrical and serious expressions (on the Japanese crane, Elliott muses: "What music do they hear / that makes them flutter so? / It's early spring; / the cranes are dancing, / dancing in the snow"). Elliott dedicates the book to Holly Meade, late illustrator of the first three volumes; Stadtlander here brings her own vision, varying palettes and settings (the flamingos' Caribbean island, the macaw's rainforest, the albatross's stormy sea, the bald eagle's mountaintop) to great effect in her rich gouache paintings, mostly double-page spreads. Readers will savor this simple but memorable investigation into the global avian experience. martha v. parravano(c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In this carefully planned book, readers simultaneously learn key facts about a variety of birds, absorb different forms of poetry and revel in beautiful artwork.The first double-page spread features ruby-throated hummingbirds flitting across a landscape lush with coral and green vines. The poetry appropriately flits as well, reflecting the words that speak of the busy way in which these birds conduct their lives. Each ensuing set of pages also names a bird in bold black print at the top of the verso or the recto, then presents a poem revealing at least one characteristic of that bird. The gouache artwork perfectly matches the varying tones and forms of the poetry, which ranges from the humorous one-sentence poem for the macaw ("Who / spilled / the / paint?") to literary accolades for the albatross to philosophizing about the Andean condor's dark secrets. There is wordplay too, as in this observation of a crow's voice: "pure caw-caw-phony." The power of good poetry glides along through the final three pages, which note that the bald eagle doesn't know the term "bird of prey / though he circles like a prayer // on the rising columns / of the shining, / sun-warmed air."From the graceful cranes flying across its wraparound cover to the single feather on the title page to the soaring eagle at the end, this book astounds. (Picture book/poetry. 4-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Debut artist Stadtlander's precise gouache double-spread illustrations capture the eye, while Elliott's poems inform readers of the habitats, songs, prey, or appearance of 17 selected birds. Muted backgrounds allow the color of the various birds to take center stage while still evoking the environment in which they live. A wide variety of the avian species is included, such as waterfowl (pelican), backyard visitors (cardinal), exotic feathered creatures (Japanese crane), and birds unfamiliar to most children (albatross). Clever use of language interjects humor as it expands children's vocabulary with such words as multitude, conflagration, untethered, and bower. Though most of the poems are short, they still impart information specific to the featured bird: The puffin is unique especially its beak. Elliott's delightful poetic picture book is versatile and lends itself as a brief introduction to birds, as an educational poetry book, as an art book of captivating illustrations, and as added entertainment in storytime. Pair this title with Elliott's other animal books, In the Wild (2010), On the Farm (2008), and In the Sea (2012), to enlighten children about our natural world.--Owen, Maryann Copyright 2015 Booklist
