Packed with over 300 species of bird, this beautiful encyclopedia will take you on an incredible journey through the world of birds, helping you find out about the amazing feathered creatures that share our planet. From tropical parrots and toucans to sea birds and eagles, find out all about birds with this informative first guide and reference book. Handsome enough to treasure in a beloved home library and thorough and rigorous enough to be returned to in the classroom or school library again and again. A perfect reference book and companion for families to look at after long walks or while spotting things in the garden or in the cities where they live. This is just the thing to help children decode the skies and forests aflutter with feathered wildlife.---from the publisher
192 pages 978-0711295285 Ages 6-9
Keywords: birds, information, zoology, encyclopedia, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old
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Each morning, just before the sun breaks over the hill, I hear the distinctive call of a bird, 'tuk-tuk-tuk' as it counts down those seconds before daylight hits and those last luxurious moments under the covers. I have no idea what it is, and no chance of spotting it hiding in the massive snow gums that surround us. It is but one of the 11 000 species of the world's birds, and while I recognise many of the tweets, squawks and cries of the wrens, rosellas, kookaburras, currawongs, gang gangs and galahs and so many others that visit regularly - we can tell both the weather and the seasons by the visitors to the bird feeders - this particular one eludes me. Perhaps, if I ever catch a glimpse of it, this book will help me identify it.
With an introduction to what a bird is and bird families, this encyclopedia for young readers then examines a number of those families including birds of prey, pigeons and doves, hole-nesters and tunnel-nesters and even birds of torpor. Each of the 300+ entries has a true-to-life diagram and basic information designed to help the reader identify the birds that they see around them, or if there is one they are particularly interested in, discover its habitat and habitats for the best chance to see it. It's laid out with all the elements that help readers to navigate it independently including an index and glossary, even a diagram of how to interpret the various entries.
While the concept of a "twitcher" might evoke a picture of a rather eccentric Englishman in hat, waterproof coat, and knickerbockers, draped with cameras and binoculars, nevertheless, there is a growing interest among young people in being able to recognise birds by both sight and sound and there is even an annual Aussie Bird Count in October each year where we are encouraged to record and submit the numbers that are seen in a 24-hour period.
So regardless of where you live on the planet, and whether your outlook is bushland, desert, coast or urban, chances are there is something that your will discover both outside your window and within this book,
This review can also be found here.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
