Animals in Flight

Children's Literature

Birds do it; bees do it; a few dinosaurs did it; and only one species of mammal does it. What do they all have in common? The ability to fly. Beginning with insects, the authors present the animals that fly in the order in which they first appeared on earth. They discuss how wings help them fly and the advantages of flying. Various types of gliders, such as the flying squirrel, are presented, along with the reasons they cannot fly. World record flyers, such as the big brown bat, the arctic tern and the monarch butterfly, are listed. A two-page spread provides a very brief look at the evolution of mankind's flying machines. The picture book format makes this a fine introduction for a variety of age groups—the brief, large print text will give preschoolers an understanding of why some animals can fly; school-age children will benefit from the tidbits of information in the small print and the notes at the end. A short bibliography will lead them to further research. The large, main illustrations are done in paper collage and reproduced so well the reader will want to touch them. Some of the sidebar illustrations are computer generated. 2001, Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 4 to 10. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo

From The Critics

Anyone fascinated with flight can discover how, when, and why birds and beasts have taken to the air. Learn how wings work in this informative and beautifully illustrated book. Cut paper illustrations make subjects pop off the page. Very nice. 2001, Houghton Mifflin, $16.00. Ages 5 to 10. Reviewer: S. Kleven SOURCE: Parent Council, September 2001 (Vol. 9, No. 1)

School Library Journal

After reading fascinating facts on the diverse creatures that fly, students can focus their research on any one of the fliers illustrated on the double-page spreads. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

An ambitious but unsuccessful design combines three levels of narration in this exploration of the concept of flight in the animal kingdom. Jenkins (Bugs Are Insects, p. 665, etc.) and Page create a basic storyline with double-page spreads each featuring one creature in flight, illustrated with Jenkins's brilliant, realistic cut-paper collages. The top of each spread includes just one or two sentences set in large type, which could be read by young readers themselves or by an adult as a read-aloud. The second layer of narration is set in smaller, italic type, serving as captions for the illustrations. The third, more problematic layer of narration goes deeper in some related direction (or in several directions), for example, explaining the mechanics of a hummingbird's wing movement. These related text blocks are set in even smaller type accompanied by small, computer-generated illustrations. A final spread offers an additional paragraph of information on each of the animals covered. A nonfiction work for children can't be all things for all ages, and this effort tries to be both a read-aloud for younger children and a nonfiction title for older ones, failing on both levels. The print in the third level of narrative is really too small for anyone to comfortably read, and the effect of all the levels of information, three different type faces, and the cluttered page design serves to dilute the impact of the attractive cut-paper collages. This overloaded concept never gets off the ground. (bibliography) (Nonfiction/picture book. 4-8)

From the Publisher

"Jenkins's trademark illustrations, watercolor cut-paper collage, are perfect for this exploration of wings."—School Library Journal School Library Journal

"An attractive, informative choice for sharing with kids almost ready to read on their own."—Booklist Booklist, ALA

"A gallery of interesting tidbits."—The Bulletin Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books