F is for Feathers: A Bird Alphabet

by Helen L. Wilbur, Andy Atkins (Illustrator)

Overview

What animal is descended from dinosaurs, pollinates plants, flies thousands of miles annually, can weigh less than a dime or as much as 340 pounds, and can even remember when humans have been kind or mean? Meet the bird! Birds are extraordinary creatures and they live almost everywhere on earth. With over 10,000 bird species, there's tremendous variety in sizes, shapes, colors, and abilities. And besides being beautiful to look at, birds are a critical part of our ecosystems and support biodiversity on our planet.

Through poetry and sidebar text, F is for Feathers: A Bird Alphabet explores all aspects of bird life, from physical characteristics to types of habitat. Additional information includes a glossary, ways to protect birds and their environment, and tips on how to be a good bird watcher.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534111400
Publisher:	Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date:	03/15/2022
Series:	Science Alphabet
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1020L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

A former librarian, Helen L. Wilbur spent many years in the world of publishing. She has a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Library Science from Columbia University. Helen’s award-winning children’s books include Finnegan and Fox: The Ten-Foot Cop (2014 Bank Street Best Books of the Year for Children, 2013 Creative Child Seal of Excellence Award), Lily’s Victory Garden (2011 Storytelling World Resource Honor Award: Stories for Pre-Adolescent Listeners Category, 2011 IRA Teacher’s Choices Reading List – Primary Category), Z is for Zeus: A Greek Mythology Alphabet (2009 Mom’s Choice Award) and M is for Meow: A Cat Alphabet (a 2007 ASPCA Henry Bergh Honor Book). She shares her writing experiences at conferences, schools, and libraries. Helen lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and spends her summers in the mountains of New Hampshire. Read more about her at helenwilbur.com.

Andy Atkins’s adventures in tropical rainforests proved to be a valuable resource for the artwork in this book. He lives in Ventura, California.

Editorial Reviews

03/01/2022

Gr 1–4—From beaks to feathers, migration to songs, familiar and not-so-familiar birds are described in this title in the publisher's series of alphabet nonfiction picture books. It has dazzling illustrations, four-line verse for each featured word, and detailed sidebars that elaborate on the topic at a slightly higher comprehension level. The artwork is photo-realistic and frequently employs striking perspectives to bring to life the incredibly diverse world of birds and their amazing adaptations. A labeled photograph that indicates bird body parts, a glossary, and tips both for helping and for identifying birds are also included. VERDICT With enormous visual appeal and well-curated facts, this book will satisfy browsers and budding ornithologists alike.—Jan Aldrich Solow

School Library Journal

2022-03-02
An alphabetic exploration of the world of birds.

This picture book presents a collection of fascinating facts about birding and feathered creatures. Entries range fromAves, the “class of warm-blooded vertebrates” to which our avian friends belong, to flyway Zones, “the migratory routes that birds follow.” Using simple rhyming quintains elaborated by sidebars of exposition, the text discusses body parts, habits, habitats, survival threats, and more. The connections between the featured alphabetized words and sidebar topics are often clever. For example, Lovebirds leads into the subject of bird courtship, and Updraft introduces information about bird flight. Wilbur invites readers to become bird-watchers, perhaps by joining the annual Christmas Bird Count, and offers birding pointers in the backmatter. Variations in the position of sidebars, the number of letters featured on each double-page spread, and the rhyming scheme create visual and textual interest. Atkins’ richly detailed realistic illustrations use vibrant colors and varying points of view. With satisfying accuracy (the exception being a tree-clinging chickadee), he shows the species in their various habitats, sometimes with human characters present who have skin tones that range from pale to dark brown. The poems and illustrations will be accessible to younger children; the nonfiction sections are suitable for independent readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)(This review has been updated for factual accuracy.)

An attractive addition to the nature shelf. (parts of a bird, glossary, bird conservation tips) (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews