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14th out of 61 books
—
154 voters
Birds
Birds come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Birds are magic. Birds are everywhere. If you listen very carefully you will hear them, no matter where you live. And if you look very closely you will see them, no matter where you are. And if you can't go outside right this minute, you can always read this book!
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
February 17th 2009
by Greenwillow Books
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I just love this book. The illustrations are simple and match the text, but it is the text that just really captures the wonder and mystery of birds. I saw a review of this, and had to go out and get it right away. It was well worth it!
This book describes what birds are like. They can be big, small, all different colors and they fly in flocks. They are everywhere in the summer, all but a few disappear for the winter, and during a rainstorm they always hide. There is a little girl who wishes she could fly like a bird even though she knows it is not possible. However, she is satisfied because even though she cant fly like a bird, she can sing like one. This would be a great book to use in a young elementary aged classroom while...more
At first I wasn't crazy about this. I was comparing it to non-fiction books by Ruth Heller, such as How to Hide a Meadow Frog and Other Amphibians with their detailed, accurate pictures and text. But that's not fair.
This is an introduction to the beauty of birds, and an homage to the joy they can add to our lives and the depth of feeling they can provoke in our souls.
Nothing is inaccurate - and the level of detail is that which is appropriate for Truth. You know, the Poetic Truth that is more au...more
This is an introduction to the beauty of birds, and an homage to the joy they can add to our lives and the depth of feeling they can provoke in our souls.
Nothing is inaccurate - and the level of detail is that which is appropriate for Truth. You know, the Poetic Truth that is more au...more
I've been wanting to write about this book for a long time. Funny, I found Bird, Lake, Moon, also by Henkes when I was searching for this title on goodreads. I'd forgotten that fantastic book, for a totally different audience. Bird, written by Henkes and illustrated by Laura Dronzek, who happens to be his wife, is amazing. From the amazing vibrant colors (I thought they were oil pastel at first, but they are actually acrylics), the reader is drawn to the page. The bold strokes catch the eye. The...more
PB 38: This book had many positive features that I think would make it a perfect read aloud for young children. The book introduces different colors of birds which allow children to learn in a fun, informal setting. Also, the different sized fonts that match the words “BIG” and “little” give visual representations about what words mean, which is beneficial for children. Also, the book allows children to imagine different ideas such as what the sky would look like if birds made marks with the fea...more
Birds, by Kevin Henkes and illustrated by Laura Dronzek (2009)
Picture Book, 32 pages
Birds encourages pre-readers to explore colors, shapes, sounds, and sizes of birds. It also nudges younger ones to use their imaginations, whether it’s to visualize the birds in the clouds or lines they would leave if their tail feathers left flight patterns. Dronzek creates clear and vivid illustrations that are big and draw the eye to the focal point of each page. With his use of personification, imagery, and...more
Picture Book, 32 pages
Birds encourages pre-readers to explore colors, shapes, sounds, and sizes of birds. It also nudges younger ones to use their imaginations, whether it’s to visualize the birds in the clouds or lines they would leave if their tail feathers left flight patterns. Dronzek creates clear and vivid illustrations that are big and draw the eye to the focal point of each page. With his use of personification, imagery, and...more
Kevin Henkes is an author I am fond of, with his glorious canon of the Julius, Baby Of The World type. I'd meant to use this title for storytime for some time, since its simpler concept and shorter length make it ideal for a read aloud for very young ones.
What I found was that, instead of the usual series of comparisons about all of the different forms birds can come in, it was a lovely collection of the sorts of thoughts real children may have - "If I were a bird, I'd ask where all the other bi...more
What I found was that, instead of the usual series of comparisons about all of the different forms birds can come in, it was a lovely collection of the sorts of thoughts real children may have - "If I were a bird, I'd ask where all the other bi...more
This book describes what birds are like. They can be big, small, all different colors and they fly in flocks. They are everywhere in the summer, all but a few disappear for the winter, and during a rainstorm they always hide. There is a little girl who wishes she could fly like a bird even though she knows it is not possible. However, she is satisfied because even though she cant fly like a bird, she can sing like one.
This would be a great book to use in a young elementary aged classroom whil...more
This would be a great book to use in a young elementary aged classroom whil...more
An utterly graceful mix of realistic elements, astute observations, poetry, and whimsy. Even the more complex/poetic bits are told simply enough for a very tiny child to understand, I think, which is fast becoming one of my most favorite things ever (e.g. what if all these colored birds' tails made trails in the sky? the telephone wire birds, the bird in winter, and of course, the observation about what it looks like when a bunch of birds in a tree fly away all at once is GENIUS). I so wish the...more
Review: This is a very colorful book, and that to me is amazing. You can't find many books nowadays for young readers that have bright, vivid pictures presented within a short-story text like this. It might be my personal love for the rainforest speaking, but the different breeds of birds in the book brought out other illustrations to me that I could put together in my mind and create a whole separate story. This being said, any little kid will enjoy this book due to it's amazing illustrations.
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The striking colors in this book make it a joy to read. As well as offering an introduction to birds, it addresses colors, sizes, weather, and counting. (Preschool-Kindergarten)
Curriculum Connection: It would be a delightful springboard into sharing our talents through the use of similes: “I can sing like a bird!”
Citation: Henkes, K., & Dronzek, L. (2009). Birds. Greenwillow Books.
Reviews: ALA Notable Children's Books 2010, Horn Book starred 03/01/09, Book Links starred 03/01/09, Kirkus Rev...more
Curriculum Connection: It would be a delightful springboard into sharing our talents through the use of similes: “I can sing like a bird!”
Citation: Henkes, K., & Dronzek, L. (2009). Birds. Greenwillow Books.
Reviews: ALA Notable Children's Books 2010, Horn Book starred 03/01/09, Book Links starred 03/01/09, Kirkus Rev...more
truly a lovely introduction to birds which I hope to buy since I read a library copy. This is a great toddler book for a family that watches birds. And the pictures have identifiable, if simplified, birds in them. Appropriately, the (probably north american) child thinks birds can be green, too, but doesn't know birds like that. The pictures are child-like (note the yellow sun coming up in the page with the nice day and the storm). I especially liked the page with the imagined bird contrails. An...more
Jan 18, 2011
Dawn Cummins
added it
The illustrations in this book are beautiful. They are vibrant, colorful and engaging. The subject matter is perfect for children, because all kids love to look up at the sky and see a beautiful bird flying by. The text is written in a interesting way with sentences spanning across the spread. I also like how the author creates a light sense of suspense at times. For example, when the girl talks about lots of birds in one tree and if they all fly away at one time, it looks like the tree yelled-...more
Henkes has of late been focusing on a much younger audience with his picture books. Birds is a wonderful introduction to what makes birds unique and special. It is very appealing to a young audience with simple ideas and colorful illustrations. For example: "Once I saw seven birds on the telephone wire. They didn't move and they didn't move and the didn't move. I looked away for just one second...and they were gone." These are truths about birds that young children can relate to. The book also h...more
My son picked out this one at the library for reading, and it picked my curiosity when I saw it was by Kevin Henkes. The pictures in Birds are not in the same style as his other books however, in fact this book is illustrated by wife Laure Dronzek, in rich color, thick line.
While we both liked the pictures, I myself found the simple text quite interesting and full of surprises. My son actually ended up reading most of the text by himself, drawn in by the simplicity in the words and by the child...more
While we both liked the pictures, I myself found the simple text quite interesting and full of surprises. My son actually ended up reading most of the text by himself, drawn in by the simplicity in the words and by the child...more
This isn't a book that relies on an overarching plot, but instead is told in small vignettes and various thoughts on birds from the young child that narrates the book. There are observations about the size and color of various birds she sees, as well as wondering where birds go in the winter when all the food is gone. The illustrations are pretty and compliment the text very well. I love the pages about how when a large group of birds fly away from a tree it looks like the tree yelled "surprise!...more
I love each of Henkes new picture books even more than the one before. And all are treasures! This one perfectly captures the wonder of birds, the quiet feelings and thoughts even the youngest bird-watcher and naturalist will feel at observing a bird, either in flight or in repose. My toddler reads it with enthusiasm, counting the birds, pointing out their colors, repeating the word, 'bird', over and over again. For me, the adult reader peering in, it crystallizes those moments when a glimpse of...more
Mar 13, 2009
Caleb
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
kids who like birds, people who like drawings of birds
Recommended to Caleb by:
Julie
Shelves:
picture-books
Extremely sophisticated primitive/child-like art offers deceptively representational images of birds, each page or so accompanied by either a simple statement of fact, a sharp observation or a poetic thought about birds.
I rarely get to the end of a piture book and find myself saying "Aww" out loud before I can stop myself, but I did with this book.
(Sadly, I was unable to find it in Virtua on account of my not being a very good library assistant 1, so I borrowed it from CML and gave THEM my cir...more
I rarely get to the end of a piture book and find myself saying "Aww" out loud before I can stop myself, but I did with this book.
(Sadly, I was unable to find it in Virtua on account of my not being a very good library assistant 1, so I borrowed it from CML and gave THEM my cir...more
I love the illustrations in this book. It allows children to relate to the story while still helping them think in a different way. I really like the different way of thinking Kevnin Henkes has in this story. For example if birds made marks with their tail feathers what would it look like. I really like how he related the tree yelling surprise to the birds flying out of the tree. These are things I never thought about. I think this story would help get the children thinking. We could even do an...more
This is a book designed for the very young, for the preschooler. The cover didn’t wow me, but the first illustration with the robin and the pink flowers and the yellow curtains hooked me, and I enjoyed quite a few of the illustrations, but not all of them; some I didn’t appreciate much at all. However, though I was very disappointed when I noticed that Henkes did not do the illustrations for this book, it was the artwork that really made the book. The text is scanty, and although fine for young...more
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The book Birds is a great book to use in the classroom. The book describes the different types of birds with illustrations that match the description. For example, the book discusses the different sizes, shapes, locations, and ways birds live. In the classroom, the book could be used to describe what birds live in the community of the readers. I would give this book a high rating because the illustrations bring teaching elements in the classroom and the book is non-fiction.
Very fun book to read now in the Spring of the year when birds are making their return back to Wisconsin from their winter vacations. Very colorful illustrations add to the text which is simple and easy for the youngest of readers to understand. The illustration with the birds in the tree where they look like leaves is gorgeous! After reading this to one of my 1st grade classes today, we went outside bird watching!
A vibrant, lovely picture book about birds. A good introduction to birds for preschool and kindergarten students. Kevin Henkes' wife painted the illustrations. Lots of Henkes fans missed his work once they realized that the art is not his. That being said, I still find it to be a strong and simple book. Recommended for young students and to compliment any unit for elementary students on birds.
This was a great book to start my birds themed preschool story time. We could talk about the colors (my favorite was when the book says that "birds can be green, I think" and I asked the kids if they'd seen a green bird. One said, "Yeah, right there!" pointing at the book), the types of birds, and just set the theme. This is a nice introductory bird book, and I enjoyed it, as did the kids.
What: This book is about all kinds of birds no matter shape, size, or color.
So What: Students need to learn about different organisms and how they live and grow.
Now What: The students could take a field trip to the zoo. They would bring their journals with them and draw picture and write about some of the animals that they see. When they return to the classroom the students would research more about their particular organism.
So What: Students need to learn about different organisms and how they live and grow.
Now What: The students could take a field trip to the zoo. They would bring their journals with them and draw picture and write about some of the animals that they see. When they return to the classroom the students would research more about their particular organism.
I was surprised by the fact that Kevin Henkes, one of the finest children's book illustrators of our time, had a different artist do the pictures for this book.
"Birds" is a lot of fun, and it makes some witty observations about the ways of birds, observations that readers are sure to appreciate. I would probably have given this book one and a half stars, if that were an option.
"Birds" is a lot of fun, and it makes some witty observations about the ways of birds, observations that readers are sure to appreciate. I would probably have given this book one and a half stars, if that were an option.
Grade: Kindergarten
Birds. Birds fly in different seasons, into different environment, and has different features. If you want to explore a children's book that has more than one science content, this is the right book for you! This would be a great addition to your science section of you classroom library. It can be under animals, seasons, or environment adaptation.
Birds. Birds fly in different seasons, into different environment, and has different features. If you want to explore a children's book that has more than one science content, this is the right book for you! This would be a great addition to your science section of you classroom library. It can be under animals, seasons, or environment adaptation.
I think this is a wonderful picture book for preschoolers. Laura Dronzek, the illustrator, is Henkes' wife. I truly love her illustrations. They fit this age group perfectly. The text is just some easy-going wonderings and comments on birds--their colors, habits, little things he notices. I will buy this book even though my children are grown. Highly recommended.
Teachers could use this book to help students determine the differences and similarities of birds. This story briefly discusses some attributes that distinguish different species of birds. This would help students to understand how a flamingo and ostrich are still considered a part of the bird family. It would be most appropriate for students in kindergarten.
Birds is a book geared for (N) nursery age children. It is a general book with no main characters. This book describes different birds by explaining the different features of birds. Colors, shapes and sizes. The illustrations are very simple, nothing overwhelming, just tit for small readers. My daughter enjoyed this book. I do find this book appealing for small children.
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Kevin Henkes became an author/illustrator when he was nineteen years old, working on a card table in his bedroom.
Today he's the author of many award-winning picture books and novels.
More about Kevin Henkes...
Today he's the author of many award-winning picture books and novels.
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updated Jun 21, 2010 07:36pm