Nonfiction Monday: The Blues Go Birding Across America

The Blues Go Birding Across America
Written by Carol l. Malnor and Sandy F. Fuller
Ages 4-8, 36 Pages
Dawn Publications, 2010
Reviewed by Kim Hutmacher
Bio by Laura Crawford

Book Source: We would like to thank Dawn Publications for providing a copy of this book for review.

This book follows five singing bluebird friends- Bing, Lulu, Uno, Eggbert and Sammi- as they travel across the country searching for the perfect song to sing on America’s birthday at the Whitehouse. Along their journey, they discover a variety of other birds. They encounter the American Robin, Great Horned Owl and the Bald Eagle, among many others. They observe what each new bird looks like, how they act and how they sound.
Sammi keeps a notebook full of her observations. Among her many journal offerings, she notes that the albatross they see has a bracelet on. She later learns that this bracelet is actually a band that scientists use to track the albatross wherever it may go.
Eggbert provides birding tips on each spread. Some of his advice includes using binoculars to help you see birds more clearly, and he warns not to disturb birds by getting too close, especially when they have babies with them.
Field guide information is also included for each bird observed. Body size, wingspan, habitat, diet and the sound(s) made by each bird are recorded in each guide.
This story of the Blues and their quest is entertaining, but it is also a great tool to teach children about birds and birding.

Cick here to download free activities to use along with this book in the classroom.

Carol Malnor eats breakfast with the birds at her home in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. As a teacher for more than twenty years, she worked with students ranging from dropouts to gifted elementary students. When writing The BLUES Go Birding Across America, she combined these two passions. Her coauthor Sandy Fuller is a children’s book author, illustrator and literary agent. Once a student of Maurice Sendak, she loves to share her knowledge and ideas about nature in her books. Check out her website at www.alparts.com.

This book is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by The Miss Rumphius Effect blog.

Nonfiction Monday: The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound

The Robin Makes A Laughing Sound: A Birder’s Journal
Written by Sallie Wolf
Ages 9-12, 47 Pages
Charlesbridge, 2010

Reviewed by Kim Hutmacher

Bio by Laura Crawford

Book Source: We would like to thank Charlesbridge Publishing for providing a copy of this book for review.

This lovely new book by Sallie Wolf reads like her own personal birder’s journal. We see and hear what Sally observes through her notes, sketches and poetry. As an Illinois native, I see lots of robins in my backyard, so my favorite poem in this book is the one which also lends its name to the book’s title.

The Robin Makes A Laughing Sound

The robin makes a laughing sound.
It makes me stop and look around
to see just what the robin sees-
fresh new leaves on twigs of trees,
a strong, high branch on which to rest,
a safe, dry ledge to hold its nest.
The robin makes a laughing sound.
I stop. I always look around.

Readers of this book not only get a look inside the behavior of robins, but also a look at seagulls, cardinals, the white-breasted nuthatch and juncos, among others. But make no mistake. This book is much more than a look at bird behavior. It teaches and inspires observation, thinking and creativity. Readers will desire their on journal and pen and long to record their own observations about the wonders of nature.

Laura Crawford had the opportunity to interview author, Sallie Wolf:

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.

I received a BA degree from Brown University in Anthropology and Archaeology and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. All my art and writing grows out of my journals in some way. In my journals I record my daily activities, my to-do lists, ideas about what I’m working on, what I’m reading, what I’m feeling. I organize my day, my week, my work, my life. And then it becomes the source for my day, my week, my work, my life.
I am now at the exciting place where the art that I make because I love it suggests what I want to write about. The art leads to writing which leads to more art which revises and refines the writing. It all begins in my journals and the process continues in my journals until the book is done. I am the author of three children’s books: PETER'S TRUCKS, TRUCK STUCK and THE ROBIN MAKES A LAUGHING SOUND; A BIRDER’S JOURNAL.

WHERE DO YOUR IDEAS FOR NONFICTION COME FROM?

My ideas come from observing the world around me and from reconnecting with my childhood passions. I have always been passionately interested in nature and natural history—learning to identify the different birds, plants, animal tracks, sea shells, rocks I see around me and on my travels. And my ideas come from listening carefully to the rhythm of words. I find that I have my best ideas when I am walking by myself around my Oak Park neighborhood. Something about the rhythm of walking fits with creating a rhythm of words and ideas seem to flow.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE HARDEST PART ABOUT WRITING?

There are two parts I struggle with; one is making enough time to write to let the writing develop. The other is finding the structure that works for the project. Once I have the structure I can get to the language I need. If the language comes first then I have a hard time giving up precious word combinations to get to a satisfactory structure. In the kinds of books I write—picture books—structure is plot. It is what holds the book together as a whole. I don’t think in terms of “plot” and I do think in terms of structure. For The Robin Makes A Laughing Sound the structure began as bird collages on a calendar. I could see that I had 12 illustrations and thought all I needed was text to go with each bird. As I began to write I realized that poetry would work better than prose. Then I abandoned the collages and the calendar and opened up the number of birds observed. Then I switched to organizing by season rather than by month. I felt I was better able to portray my experience of observing birds with this seasonal structure.

WHAT IS THE STRANGEST FACT YOU HAVE LEARNED?

For three mornings in a row one April, a female cardinal sat on a twig over my patio and sang and sang. I was surprised because I had always assumed that only the males sang. I knew she had a nest in a bush nearby so on the third day I got a hand mirror, and when I knew she was not on her nest I held it over the nest and peeked at the contents—4 eggs! Do you think she was singing about laying eggs? I do. My understanding is that they lay one egg a day until the clutch is complete. I think I missed the first day, and heard her each of the next three. I have never been able to repeat this experience to date so I can’t really be sure that I’m right, but I think she was singing to announce her eggs—whether before or after laying, I can’t say.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST WORK.

I have just submitted a ms based on my Moon Project which is an on-going art project of observing the moon and making art based on the information I record in my journals. The methodology is very similar to how I developed the bird book, gathering information in my journals and then compiling that and working from those observations. To learn more about the moon project, check out my website: http://www.salliewolf.com/moon.html

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Books Together blog.

Nonfiction Monday: There Once Was A Sky Full of Stars

There Once was a Sky Full of Stars

by Bob Crelin, Illustrated by Amie Ziner
Ages 6-10, 34 pages
Sky Publishing, 2007

Reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer

We would like to thank Elmhurst Public Library for providing a copy of this book for review.

For centuries people have gazed at the night sky and pondered the wonder and majestic beauty of twinkling stars, dazzling comets, and distant galaxies. Today, many children, especially those who live in urban areas, rarely see a star-studded sky. A light pollution activist, Crelin uses verse to ask, Why? "So, why are these wonders now hidden from sight? /And where did they all seem to go? / And what hides the twinkling starlight we see / in a sky full of pink-orange glow?" The answer is light pollution.
This gentle, rhyming bedtime story describes the enchantment of the night sky, educates children about light pollution, its affect on nature, and offers a solution. "Yes, you and I, we can save the night sky. /The answer is simple and clear. When we turn down the lights / that have faded our nights, by the thousands the stars reappear." Warm and whimsical, Ziner’s rich, dark-tone oil paintings depict children, adults, and animals engaged in various activities beneath exquisite night skies.
The nine "Points of Discussion" at the end of the book include astronomical fun facts about comets, three of the brightest planets, the Milky Way, and the Andromeda Galaxy. It also notes how light pollution affects plants and animals. To correct the problem, readers will learn that some outdoor lighting companies now manufacture "shielded lights" that shine light downward, rather than up to sky where it serves no purpose and wastes electricity. Curious young astronomers will be captivated by this thought provoking "story of the vanishing stars" and its message of hope. There Once was a Sky Full of Stars is listed as a resource for public outreach in the International Year of Astronomy, 2009. A portion of all book sale proceeds goes to the International Dark-Sky Association.

To learn more about Bob Crelin and his books, click here to visit his website.

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by In Need of Chocolate blog.

Sylvan Dell Publishing: What They Are Looking For

I personally love it when publishers tell us specifically what they are looking for. Sylvan Dell Publishing has updated their submission guidelines with a list of current needs. Click here to read it in full.

2010 SCBWI Golden Kite Awards Announced

Congratulations to all of the recognized authors and illustrators. A special congratulations to fellow SCBWI-Illinois member, Julia Durango on her win in the fiction category for Sea of the Dead.
And a shout out to one of our favorite poets, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, on her picture book honor for Bella and Bean.

To view the entire list of winners, click here.