Birds Every Child Should Know

Originally published in 1907, Birds Every Child Should Know is a collection of storylike descriptions of more than one hundred birds commonly found in the United States. Neltje Blanchan's detailed descriptions of birds--their physical attributes, calls, nesting and mating habits, and other behaviors--are nothing less than enchanting, and some read almost like fairy tales. Take for instance the mockingbird's call:

"when the moonlight sheds a silvery radiance about every sleeping creature, the...