Overview
Narrated in journal entries from the point of view of a red knot—a robin-sized shore bird that migrates 20,000 miles annually, from the tip of South America to the Arctic Circle and back—this book depicts one such dramatic journey in stunningly detailed colored-pencil illustrations of the flight over the Atlantic Ocean, a landing in Delaware Bay, the northern nesting grounds, chicks feeding on hatching insects, a close call with an arctic fox, and the return home. At the heart of the story is a message about conservation: the birds stop only a few times as they travel and always in the same coastal areas where dwindling food supplies have caused a precipitous decline in their numbers over the past decade. Science concepts such as animal life cycles, climate, extinction, the food chain, and migration are introduced by information about how bird-banding and protecting the horseshoe crab—whose eggs are a principal food for red knots—can help them survive. A four-page appendix includes a map of the western hemisphere, a range and route map for migrating birds, a glossary, a timeline, and the history and conservation of red knots. This book was the first runner up in the Children's category for the 2007 Eric Hoffer Book Award.Synopsis
Narrated in journal entries from the point of view of a red knot—a robin-sized shore bird that migrates 20,000 miles annually, from the tip of South America to the Arctic Circle and back—this book depicts one such dramatic journey in stunningly detailed colored-pencil illustrations of the flight over the Atlantic Ocean, a landing in Delaware Bay, the northern nesting grounds, chicks feeding on hatching insects, a close call with an arctic fox, and the return home. At the heart of the story is a message about conservation: the birds stop only a few times as they travel and always in the same coastal areas where dwindling food supplies have caused a precipitous decline in their numbers over the past decade. Science concepts such as animal life cycles, climate, extinction, the food chain, and migration are introduced by information about how bird-banding and protecting the horseshoe crab—whose eggs are a principal food for red knots—can help them survive. A four-page appendix includes a map of the western hemisphere, a range and route map for migrating birds, a glossary, a timeline, and the history and conservation of red knots. This book was the first runner up in the Children's category for the 2007 Eric Hoffer Book Award.
Barbara Youngblood - Children's Literature
The author tells the life cycle story of an amazing little bird who travels 20,000 miles each year when it flies rountrip from its winter home in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to the Canadian Arctic. Along the way, the bird must find enough food to keep alive, find a mate, and lay the eggs that will create the next generation. An essential stop in the United States is on the coast of Delaware, where the birds feed after a 4,000 mile non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The population of the Calidris Canutus, or Red Knot, has declined from 200,000 to below 40,000 in the last twenty-five years. The wonders of nature are so incredible that readers will be in awe of what this small bird does each year. The timing involved in reaching a prime feeding ground at the same time as the horseshoe crabs arrive to breed, is extraordinary. The book contains a glossary, a timeline, and other detailed information on banding and the conservation work being done to protect this endangered species. 2006, Birdsong Books, and Ages 6 to adult.
Editorials
Children's Literature
The author tells the life cycle story of an amazing little bird who travels 20,000 miles each year when it flies rountrip from its winter home in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to the Canadian Arctic. Along the way, the bird must find enough food to keep alive, find a mate, and lay the eggs that will create the next generation. An essential stop in the United States is on the coast of Delaware, where the birds feed after a 4,000 mile non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The population of the Calidris Canutus, or Red Knot, has declined from 200,000 to below 40,000 in the last twenty-five years. The wonders of nature are so incredible that readers will be in awe of what this small bird does each year. The timing involved in reaching a prime feeding ground at the same time as the horseshoe crabs arrive to breed, is extraordinary. The book contains a glossary, a timeline, and other detailed information on banding and the conservation work being done to protect this endangered species. 2006, Birdsong Books, and Ages 6 to adult.—Barbara Youngblood
School Library Journal
Gr 1-4-This title introduces an endangered sandpiper and chronologically documents her journey from Tierra del Fuego along a 20,000-mile route to the Arctic where she has her young and then makes her way back down south for the winter. A map on the title page illustrates Red Knot's entire route and the birds' range. Willis starts the chronicle on February 1 with the bird's enormous food intake in preparation for the long journey and subsequent liftoff with 100 other knots. Diarylike entries include mentions of diet, behavior, hazards, banding, mating, nesting, and predators. The smooth, simple text is complemented with well-composed, colored-pencil drawings. Factual notes are appended. This book will serve report writers and nature lovers well.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Kirkus Reviews
One of the unhappy stories of our changing environment is the near-extinction of a once innumerable population of Red Knots visiting the Delaware and New Jersey shore each spring. Without personifying the bird at all, but including an episode of banding that gives the bird an identity, the author of this welcome book follows one Red Knot from its home, Tierra del Fuego, north to its breeding grounds near the Arctic Circle, clearly introducing the species and explaining this story to young readers. Carefully delineated drawings, beginning with a map on the title page, depict this incredible journey in colorful double-page spreads that illustrate the birds so accurately that a birder can easily identify the other shorebirds pictured as well-and notice that the list of pictured birds omits the oystercatchers. The backmatter also includes further information, a glossary and acknowledgements, but no sources or index. This is both a pleasure to look at and a source of useful information for classes studying ecology, birds or seasonal changes in the world. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-10)From the Publisher
First Runner Up, Children's Category, The 2007 Eric Hoffer Book Awards:
"Bird migration is the subject of this beautiful book on bird life. This isn't a dry ecology book full of facts and figures."
"Willis' birds are beautifully drawn and are a great addition to the text." —Greg Butcher, Director of Bird Conservation, National Audubon Society
"Willis has taken decades of research and reduced it to an illustrated, simple, and straightforward story of migration wonder." —Brian A. Harrington, author, Flight of the Red Knot
"This beautifully illustrated book teaches children about this amazing species, currently in serious decline." —Russell W. Peterson, former governor, Delaware; past president, National Audubon Society
"This lovely book gets the message across to children that we need to care for our environment." —Nigel A. Clark, head of projects, British Trust for Ornithology"
"Will advance the education of children and adults about critical issues surrounding the annual shorebird and horseshoe crab migrations." —Michael E. Riska, executive director, Delaware Nature Society