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A TurtleAndRobot Book List: 15 Picture Books featuring Birds

August 22, 2014 · Filed under Board Books, Book Lists, Early Readers, Picture Books · Tagged Bob Staake, books about birds, Caldecott Honor, Children's book reviews, David Macaulay, Eric Rohmann, Helen Oxenbury, kid's book reviews, Lemony Snicket, Leo Lionni, Lois Ehlert, Maira Kalm, Nick Bruel, out of print, P.D. Eastman, Philip C. Stead, picture book reviews, Quentin Blake, Simon James

It is not uncommon for a child to latch onto a specific subject and then focus intensely on that one thing for a time. When such obsessions begin, the book purchaser’s job suddenly becomes easier and imbued with a new sense of fun—any book containing that subject will be an instant winner. But once the obvious choices pertaining to that topic have been exhausted, choosing books can become a painful, and fruitless, process. Buyer beware- that T.V. tie-in title that pertains to your child’s interest may be tempting but I assure you there are always higher quality choices still undiscovered.

I compiled this list of fiction picture books for people with a bird-loving child in their lives. Angelo by David Macaulay, a phenomenal and underappreciated book, is about a pigeon that brightens the life of an elderly stone worker. Bob Staake’s Bluebird spotlights an attentive bird that befriends a boy who is being bullied by his classmates. Whether the cobalt-hued hero of Bluebird is an actual bluebird or just a bird that is blue isn’t made clear, but that won’t matter to those who choose this remarkable wordless picture book. The remaining titles feature generalized, i.e. not necessarily naturalistic birds of a recognizable breed, as their main characters.

Inch by Inch

Ages 3-7

By Leo Lionni

32 pages

Knopf

1960

1961 Caldecott Honor Book

Time Flies

Ages 3-7

By Eric Rohman

32 pages

Crown Publishers

1994

1995 Caldecott Honor Book

A Home for Bird

Ages 3-7

By Phil C. Stead

32 pages

Roaring Brook Press

2012

See TurtleAndRobot’s full review here.

Hello, My Name is Ruby

Ages 3-7

By Philip C. Stead

36 pages

Roaring Brook Press

2013

Flap Your Wings

Ages 3-8

By P.D. Eastman

48 pages

Random House

1969

(Also by P.D. Eastman, Are You My Mother? and The Best Nest)

The Birdwatchers

Ages 3-8

By Simon James

32 pages

Candlewick

2002

Out of print

Little Red Bird

Ages 3-8

By Nick Bruel

32 pages

Roaring Brook Press

2008

Poppy and Ella

Ages 3-9

By Jef Kaminsky

48 pages

Disney-Hyperion

2000

Out of print

Franny B. Kranny, There’s a Bird in Your Hair

Ages 3-9

Written by Harriet Lerner and Susan Goldhor

Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

40 pages

HarperCollins

2001

Out of print

13 Words

Ages 4-7

Written by Lemony Snickett

Illustrated by Maira Kalman

40 pages

HarperCollins

2010

See TurtleAndRobot’s full review here.

Bluebird

Ages 4-8

By Bob Staake

40 pages

Schwartz & Wade

2013

A Funny Little Bird

Ages 4-8

By Jennifer Yerkes

48 pages

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

2013

Feathers for Lunch

Ages 4-9

By Lois Ehlert

36 pages

HMH Books for Young Readers

1996

Angelo

Ages 4-9

By David Macaulay

48 pages

HMH Books for Young Readers

2006

The Life of Birds

Ages 5 and up

By Quentin Blake

80 pages

Doubleday UK

2005

Out of print

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Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh: A playful lesson in primary colors.

November 7, 2013 · Filed under Board Books · Tagged board book, board book review, Children's book reviews, Children's books, colors, Ellen Stoll Walsh, kid's book reviews, kids books, Mouse Count

Mouse Paint

Board Book

Ages Birth to 3

By Ellen Stoll Walsh

16 pages

Harcourt

1995

This lighthearted, simple story is also a lesson in primary colors. Three white mice are able to conceal themselves against a sheet of white paper and become invisible to a sleek, gray cat. But when the inquisitive mice discover three paint jars—one red, one yellow and one blue—they nearly blow their cover!

Thinking the jars they’ve discovered are for painting themselves, the three adventurous mice jump right in.

Their paint drips onto the paper creating bright puddles of color, inspiring the mice to play.

As each mouse—boldly adorned in a primary hue—dances, hops or jumps in the puddles, new and wonderful colors are created.

The illustrations, done in cut-paper collage, are set against a white background and clearly differentiate each vivid color. The clean and unembellished design is incredibly pleasing; Walsh manages to make a seemingly basic array of primary and secondary colors seem like a celebration.

Each lesson in color mixing is given two full spreads, allowing children time to process how the new colors are made.

After all the playing in the paint, the mice are feeling sticky and give themselves a bath in the cat’s water bowl.

Readers are given a helpful reminder on how to create the new colors when the newly cleaned mice decide to continue painting. This time they use the paper instead of themselves and, learning from their past experience, they leave a little bit of white so that they may continue hiding from the cat.

Walsh’s masterful technique at introducing a basic concept is quite likely to prompt little ones to explore color and art, painting and drawing.

View the book!

IndieBound / Powell’s / Amazon

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A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na: A beautiful slumber inducer.

October 3, 2013 · Filed under Board Books · Tagged bedtime, board book, board book review, Book of Sleep review, children's book review, Il Sung Na, kid's book reviews, kids books, sleep

A Book of Sleep

Board Book

Ages Birth-3

By Il Sung Na

24 pages

Knopf

2011

In Il Sung Na’s first picture book, A Book of Sleep, he utilizes a mix of hand painting and computer enhancement to create soothingly beautiful illustrations. Intricate designs and complex textures are etched into his bold, simple artwork; lovely little details implore the reader to fully inspect each spread. His rich, saturated palette captures the blue hues of night and, in the last two spreads, the golden brightness of day. The simple, direct text describes the different ways in which several animals sleep—an ideal topic for bedtime.

The book opens: “When the sky grows dark and he moon glows bright, everyone goes to sleep…except for the watchful owl.”

Over the next several pages, readers learn that some animals sleep in peace and quiet; other animals make lots of noises.

Some animals sleep standing up, while others sleep on the move.

There are animals that sleep with one eye open and some that sleep with both eyes open!

Some animals sleep alone; other animals sleep huddled in groups.

The sharp-eyed owl appears throughout the book—sometimes sitting plainly on a tree branch, sometimes hidden among the slumbering animals—and children will delight in locating the hidden observer.

“But when the sky turns blue and the sun glows bright…everyone wakes up! Except for the tired owl.”

Na’s gorgeous art engenders peaceful feelings; the serene nighttime scenes will surely set the stage for little ones to demonstrate favorite sleeping positions of their own.

View the book!

IndieBound / Powell’s / Amazon