What Is a Bird?

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

These companion volumes show small insets of birds against photos of the landscapes and skies they inhabit. It's a design that works perfectly with Hirschi's understated text and Burrell's provocative camera's eye, because it forces readers to focus on both the bird and the larger world. What Is a Bird? quietly shows that birds are soft feathers or colorslike a brilliant red cardinal and a mountain bluebird. Where Do Birds Live? offers an idea of the many varied spots that birds consider homefrom the end of a twig, to a scruffy, homemade birdhouse. The identities and surroundings of the birds are included in the back of eachbook, which leaves the information up front wonderfully concise and free of any excess. Simple books, poetically packed with insights for young bird watchers. Ages 5-9. (December)

School Library Journal

ea. vol: photogs. by Galen Burrell. un paged. notes. CIP. Walker. 1987. PSm $10.95; PLB $11.85. PreS-Gr 3 In an attractive format sure to spark interest, these titles briefly explore, in a poetic and appreciative way, basic characteristics of birds and their different habitats. What Is a Bird? mentions ele ments such as feathers, eggs, color, and the attributes of flight and movement, but makes no attempt to explain the qualities unique to birds; look to Selsam and Hunt's A First Look at Birds (Walker, 1973) for the scientific approach of classification. Where Do Birds Live? is equally vague on techni cal explanation, instead declaring that ``Birds live in quiet places. They live where they can watch the morning come. . .Birds live alone. Some live with others.'' In both, to obtain the name of the species of bird or plant or the exact habitat pictured, one must turn to the notes at the end. Since the pages are not numbered, each spread must be identified by the cumbersome process of matching a subject or a phrase from the notes to the actual pages. The dazzling color photographs often cover a double- page spread and, with few exceptions, are well-composed and clearly illustrate the concepts presented in the text. Each spread also contains a small inset photograph which occasionally detracts from the larger picture. No other general approach to birds is available at this level; teachers can use these to introduce the subject to preschool and primary grades; anyone who enjoys nature photography will be intrigued. El len Fader, Westport Public Library, Conn.