Birds

Author: Melissa Stewart
Copyright Date: 2001
Publisher: Grolier Publishing Co., Inc.
Number of Pages: 47
Reading Level: Ages 6 & Up
Genre: Informational

Summary

This book is, of course, all about birds. What they are, where and how they live, etc. The first chapter is about what a bird is. There are many types of birds, but they all have many things in common. The second chapter is about bird's feathers--the two types are down feathers and contour feathers. Feathers can also be many different colors! The third chapter is about how the shape and structure of bird's wings helps them fly. The fourth chapter talks about the different foods that birds eat. For example, different birds will eat insects, fruit, fish, nuts or seeds, or plants. Chapter five talks about how birds are born--they start in an egg and then hatch--and their lives after they hatch. Most parent birds will feed their babies until they're old and strong enough to fend for themselves and until they can fly, at about five weeks old. The last chapter talks about how birds effect our lives as humans--people can eat birds, many birds are pets, some people enjoy watching birds, etc. This book also teaches that birds are important in the ecosystem.

"Birds" contains many beautiful pictures of the variety of different birds you can find, and has a multitude of interesting facts. The layout is done really well, with the space provided being used wisely, and it is written in a way that's easy for children to understand. This book also has little pages here and there with more detail and fun facts about birds. These pages invite children to think by asking questions, and also make learning fun.

Reaction

I thought this book was put together really well. It's written very well for this age group, and I think younger children would love reading this book.

Recommendations

I would recommend that parents read this to their children, and also have their children try to read it for themselves. It's simple enough but can also challenge kids, and it's fun for them to read! They will enjoy looking at the pictures and some of the other fun things provided within this book.

Problems/Conflicts

I honestly did not see any problems or conflicts in this book.