Vulture View

Vulture View

By April Pulley Sayre

Illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Henry Holt & Company, 2007

ISBN # 978-0-8050-7557-1

Nonfiction Picture Book

"The sun is rising.

Up, up.

It heats the air.

Up, up."

Vulture View is a poetic look at nature's best scavengers—vultures–written in Sayre's lilting, yet scientific style. In very few words, she shows the soaring birds riding upward on the thermals as animals below are ruled out for food until they spot a reeking carcass.

"Vultures like a mess.

They land and dine.

Rotten is fine."

The vultures go on to clean and preen their feathers before returning to soar on the thermals until night falls, where they glide downward to roost with other vultures until the sun warms up the next day.

Jenkins's collage art adds to the story with rough textures and bold colors. It echoes the roughness of these birds that play such an important role as nature's recyclers. Back matter provides more details about the birds, their family, and information for young scientists.

Vulture View is a perfect way to introduce scavengers in the food chain, recycling within nature, and adaptations by these birds to live eating their bacteria laden food. It's simple enough for young children yet addresses a science standard for fourth and fifth graders. The book might even make you a fan!

Activity 1

Look up turkey vultures and find out at least two adaptations they've developed to cope with their eating habits. Write a paragraph explaining how these adaptations aid the vulture.

The Turkey Vulture site has great information. I found this site in the book's backmatter. Thanks, April!

This site has interesting facts and adaptation information.

Activity 2

Choose another bird and learn 5-7 facts about it. Then use the book as a pattern to write in a poetic style to convey that information to a reader. Illustrate the bird.

National Science Standards: organisms and environment; diversity and adaptations

Book provided by author.

See April Pulley Sayre and nine other nonfiction authors (including me!) at the 2011 ALA Conference on June 26 at 8:00 A.M. at the Nonfiction Book Blast panel. We have handouts, too!