Growing Up Humming

by Mike Spinak (Author and Photographer)

Fans of David Attenborough will enjoy experiencing the wonders of nature through Mike Spinak's pictures and words.

Imagine witnessing hummingbird chicks being raised on the nest from front row seats, with every step shown as it unfolds, accompanied by fundamental explanations of the "whys" behind what you're seeing. In Mike Spinak's "Growing Up Humming", you'll see hummingbirds as you've never seen them before.

The elder chick has flown from the nest, and now follows her mother while learning how to live like an adult. The younger chick hasn't yet fledged, and life will be easier for her mother when both are flying. What happens when a mother hummingbird wants her chick to leave the nest, but the chick isn't ready? This fact-filled, true story, photo book shows the answers in a heartwarming tale the entire family can enjoy.

"The photos are so captivating you just want to gaze at them for hours rather than turn the page to continue the story." - Katie H.

"The story itself is wondrous - Mike simply wrought words from inspiration that the hummingbirds gave him." - Nataliya Field

"I gave a copy to my 10 year old niece who enjoyed it so much that she read the whole thing front to back in one setting (and then spent a couple of hours wowing the adults with hummingbird facts)." - James Beswick, Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer

"...delightful for persons of any age ... a breathtaking microcosm that few people have witnessed and which somehow makes you feel blessed ... marvelous, awesome story." - P.B. Sharp, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Birds, Photography

44 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

Mike Spinak began photography in 1998. He's been writing since he was young. Lifelong passions for travel, nature, and creative expression developed into a lifestyle and career in photography and writing.

He photographs landscapes, wildlife, flora, fungi, patterns - anything and everything nature. He uses naturalist knowledge to find subjects and themes which people rarely see; then uses photography and writing to share his experiences with others. He aspires to show people the beauty and wonder of the natural world, so that they may feel kinship with nature.

His nature photography studio is wherever he finds himself with a camera and nature's largesse.

He's the author of Growing Up Humming, and has more books coming soon.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

here's the thing - i get about 6-10 requests a week from authors wanting me to read and review their books. and i used to be much more open to the idea. but then i discovered netgalley. and edelweiss. and the library. and all of those things are great, but they come with a ticking clock, a "you must read me right now or lose your privileges." and between that and the new job which gives me far less time to read, i just have had to turn people down left and right. and i feel bad, i do, but with BEA around the corner and all these other books toppling over at my place, it is just not in the cards for me right now.

but i got a request from the author of this book, with a link to the book itself, and i just clicked it to see what this hummingbird thing was all about, out of curiosity, and before i knew it, i had read the whole thing! i was captivated!

it is a book that i suppose is suitable for children, but it's not all baby-talk and crummy drawings. it is a book of truly stunning photographs of hummingbirds from like an inch away, and lots of interesting facts about the birds and the way they develop from gross and pink to viable bullets of zoom and wing.

my dad has hummingbirds on his back porch, with his little hummingbird feeders, and let me tell you - those things are skittish. they are a different breed of hummingbird than the ones in this book, these are anna's hummingbirds, and my dads are...not. whenever i try to take picture of them, i get some rainbow-colored blurs. which are not awesome.

his photos are remarkable. for serious.

they start when the baby hummingbirds are fifteen and thirteen days old. and all ruffled and spiky-looking. they are in a nest of lichen and spiderwebs and this giant (comparatively) seed pod, and he has some great photos of mama bird regurgitating tasty nectar and pureed bug down their little humming throats.

he follows their progress to larger-hummingbird size, and then one of them leaves the nest, while the other, younger one, is not going anywhere. so the mama bird has to use devious tactics to get her young one to leave home already. nature is so, so cool.

here are some neat hummingbird facts:

Two days later, at twenty-one days old and nineteen days old, both chicks are so large that they not only sit on top of the nest, rather than in the nest, they also spend most of their time facing opposite directions, to stay out of each other’s way

not so much a fact, but a really cool photo, and a very practical thing for birds with pointy beaks to do.

A flock of Anna’s hummingbirds is called a bouquet, a glittering, a shimmer,a hover, or a tune

how lovely!

Anna’s hummingbirds have such small legs that they can’t walk.

hahaahahh - awwwwww...

so, yeah. now i feel like i have done a favor for an author in the way i always want to, but he has done me a favor,too, because now i am only 4 books behind on my reading challenge, and i got to see some really gorgeous photographs.

everyone wins!

come to my blog!

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I particularly enjoyed reading this now, in spring, when I've been watching the baby birds learn to fly and explore the larger world. There is a hummingbird nest in the tree outside that has been reinhabited (and I assume rebuilt, since Spinak explains that the mother tears up the old nest to get the babies to fly) for at least the three years I've lived here. I'm not sure if my hummingbirds are Anna's like the ones in this book, but they might well be as Peterson's indicates that I live in the correct range.

I've tried to get a close look at my hummingbirds, but it's hard. Try it. See how closely you can observe hummingbirds. They are tiny, they are fast, they go zoom, and if you bother them too much they may go for you! The ones where I grew up did that; these here seem friendlier. One of the younger ones let me come quite close.



But as you can see, it's still difficult to make out much detail. Spinak's photography is just amazing. His birds are larger-than-life. You can make out every feather and every scrap in the nest (he explains what materials are used). He records the mother and babies over a periods of weeks, and they seem undisturbed by his presence.



Although the highlight for me was definitely the photography, I also enjoyed the text and learned things I hadn't previously known about hummingbirds; for instance, that they start out with bare "sheathes" that gradually grow feathers. The writing style is just fine for kids, clear without being condescending. Longer or more technical vocabulary is explained, and Spinak makes sensible and appropriate comparisons such as Just like a big coat would cause drag through the water and make it harder for someone to swim, Little Sister’s down feathers would drag through the air and make it harder to fly where a small child might be concerned that the mother was hurting the baby by pulling out the down.

The only thing I would've added to this book would be a map showing the area where the birds are found and a few notes on other types of hummingbirds so that children who don't have Anna's in their areas could look for other sorts.


This book was given to me gratis by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing Up Humming is a children's non-fiction book about some hummingbird chicks growing up and leaving the nest.

I got a PDF of this in exchange for reviewing it from the author. It took me all of twenty minutes to read. It's written in a suitable style for kids, simple without being patronizing. And the photos...

The photos were by far my favorite part. They are spectacular, showing every last feather. Since I've spent quite a bit of time over the past few years trying to take acceptable pictures of hummingbirds, I am pretty jealous.

If this book had been available when I was a kid, I would have read it until it fell apart. Four stars.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I'm jealous. I love to take photos of hummingbirds & have some pretty good ones, but nothing of this quality nor of them growing in the nest. Fantastic. Also, it is about an Anna's hummingbird & all we have around here are Ruby Throats.

The book is aimed at kids, but is fine for adults, too. The language is perfect for kids, clear & concise without being stupid, & the detail is amazing. We follow two hummingbird chicks from 2 weeks old to when they fly off the nest a week later. Their growth in this week is amazing & some of the pictures are marked up to point out details. I skimmed through it the first time in 10 minutes & have since gone back through it a couple more times. It would make a fantastic picture book, but I'd really like to see it in large format. It would be worth the extra cost.

If I have any complaint, it is that I'd like to have seen a couple of pictures of them before they were 2 weeks old, but maybe those weren't very nice to look at or even possible, judging by the camera angle - a minor detail.

I was given this book free for posting a review. I'm not sure what other formats it is available in, but I got mine as either a hi-res or low-res Adobe PDF. I read both & suggest the low-res option. The 43mb high res doesn't display any better than the 5mb low-res file & is somewhat slower, depending on your computer & connection speed. Most of us don't have displays or printers that will gain anything by going hi-res, either.

I can't recommend this book highly enough.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

All photos used with author/photographer permission.

Growing Up Humming is an absolutely lovely book, chronicling life inside an Anna's Hummingbird nest. Each gorgeous photo is captioned with interesting information, written so anyone, young and old alike, can enjoy this little family's journey from chicks to adults.

It's hard to imagine possible, but a hummingbird egg is about the size of a pea, and the nest built by this Mother sits atop a seed pod!

As you can see from the photos above and below, it doesn't take long for a nest to become cramped quarters.

This charming book is informative and beautiful, and took no time at all to read. Through pictures and journaling the growth of these chicks, Mr. Spinak makes Growing Up Humming a fun learning experience!

And on a side note, when Mr. Spinak contacted me about reviewing this book, he noted that it "It does not have a romantic element, in line with your general interests." Well, while this isn't technically a romance, it spoke to my excitement and adoration for hummingbirds, so in the end, it really is all about love.

My thanks to Mike Spinak for providing me with a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

----------

I'm tossing these images in because I am just in awe of how tiny hummingbird nests and eggs are. The pictures are not included in the book, nor were they taken by this author.

[Stephanie *Eff your feelings* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow!

I received an ebook copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review. His inquiry was professional and in no way did I feel he was harassing me for a review.....so he gets a review.

The photographs in this little book are impressive. I have no clue how one can capture a humming bird in mid flight and stop it in order to put in on the page, but Mike Spinak has done it here.

The story is written for children and is about the growth of baby humming birds from chick to flight, to a life of their own.

Well done.

[KatLynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up Humming is a delightful look at two baby hummingbirds and their preparations for their first flight and finally leaving the nest. It's filled with beautiful photography from the author and is appealing to both adults as well as children.

In addition to the exquisite pictures you'll also find many great facts about these lovely creatures.

Mike Spinak did a great job capturing a fascinating part of nature in such a short read. I enjoyed it and will be adding this to my library. The eBook is very reasonably priced and if you have a love for nature or hummingbirds, you'll delight in this one!

Thank you Mike for sending a copy in exchange for an honest review! It was a pleasure!

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When authors send me review requests, I usually ignore them, especially if they are outside of my normal genres. However, I happen to have my 3 and 1 year old daughters on my lap while I was checking my email, so I figured, "what the heck, I'll give it a go".

This little picture book was adorable. My 3 year old LOVED the hummingbird pictures and the cute story that went along with it. Mike Spinak did a fabulous job of capturing each moment (he has some serious photography skills) and making this book interesting for young and old alike. I'm sure it would be even more fabulous in print, but the pictures were still stunning on my computer screen. This is great for little nature-lovers to add to their collection.

**Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**

[Kathy Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Spinak’s GROWING UP HUMMING is a phenomenal book. Through a series of totally amazing photographs and clear, simple prose, Spinak explores the activities of a family of Anna’s hummingbirds. This is advertised as a children’s book (and the descriptions written to go along with the pictures would be easily accessible to children of any age), but anyone interested in wildlife (and birds in particular) would love this. I’m well past childhood, and I was totally mesmerized.

The photographs are obviously the best part of GROWING UP HUMMING. I honestly can’t imagine how Spinak managed to get some of the pictures he includes in this book. I’ve never seen such detailed pictures of a hummingbird’s nest, complete with leaves, spider webs, seed pods, and two tiny two-week old chicks just beginning poke their heads up. Spinak follows the progress of the chicks as their feathers develop, their beaks lengthen, their eyes open, and they begin to test their wings. We see mother feeding the chicks, with her long beak plunged inside their shorter ones. And when the oldest sister leaves the nest, we watch mother encourage the younger sister to do the same. These are wonderful photographs.

Mike Spinak sent me a PDF version of this book, hoping that I would review it. He was kind enough to offer a paperback version, but I think I’ll buy one myself – it’s only fair! This is a book I would certainly have purchased, had I stumbled upon it accidentally. I would definitely recommend buying the paperback, since the pictures are so important to the reader’s enjoyment. Even if you own the full color version of Kindle, the size of the screen just won’t do these photographs justice.

I recommend GROWING UP HUMMING to anyone who’s ever marveled at the spectacular beauty of hummingbirds. I’ve never seen anything that comes close to this book. It’s absolutely beautiful.

[John Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for my two young daughters. I had seen a few of the pictures and was impressed by their beauty. The sample photos that I saw served as a good example of all of the photos. Each page presents you with a unique insight and a beautiful representation of the life led by these young chicks.

The text is equally well done. It allows you to follow along as the two baby birds develop. The text is written in a clear and easily understandable manner that is appropriate for even small children, but still informative and entertaining enough to cause adults to want to continue reading.

Buy this for your children, but don't be surprised if you enjoy it as well.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming little book, with incredible photographs of a hummingbird and her babies as they grow to first flight. The accompanying commentary is illuminating and very insightful.

The book is supposedly targeted to children -- though I think it's beyond the very youngest. It should appeal to those children that have reached the "Why?" age. But it should also appeal to adults.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still Life out of Velocity

This review is from: Growing Up Humming (Paperback)
Mike Spinak is quite the magician! In this perfectly produced little book he has accomplished what we have all thought was impossible - arresting the movement of the Vivace speed hummingbird movements that prevent our seeing anything except a swirling, darting off into space, little bird who gathers nectar from our gardens. And now thanks to Pinak's photographic skills combined with his studied approach to the life and habits of hummingbirds we can finally watch these beautiful birds in still life.

Spinak `photographs landscapes, wildlife, flora, fungi, patterns - anything and everything nature. He uses naturalist knowledge to find subjects and themes that people rarely see; then uses photography and writing to share his experiences with others. He aspires to show people the beauty and wonder of the natural world, so that they may feel a kinship with nature.' And he definitely accomplishes this goal in this outstanding series of photographs of a mother hummingbird and her raising her chicks from egg to adult. The image are so very crisp that we see every detail of these usually out of focus creatures, allowing us to appreciate their beauty and the manner in which they grow from chick to adult in 40 pages of inimitable photographs.

There is more information about the life pattern and genetics of hummingbirds in this book than scores of biology texts. And the real boon to this presentation is that these secrets unveiled to us are visible to children as well. It is a treasure of a book on many levels.

Grady Harp

[Ailsa Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Spinak is a talented nature photographer and his skill and passion for this subject is very evident in Growing up Humming, his first non-fiction book for children. The author tells the story of a family of Anna’s hummingbirds as the chicks grow and prepare to fledge, illustrated wonderfully through a series of exceptionally detailed and beautiful photographs. The text is loaded with interesting facts and is built into a compelling story. My 9 yr old son, a fan of factual books, said the pictures were cool and liked the storytelling aspect. He said that he would definitely choose this book if he was doing a project at school on birds. He found the level of reading difficulty comfortable. My 7 yr old daughter also enjoyed the book, particularly “the little, cosy nests” but needed some assistance with some of the text. She also liked learning about the humming birds within the context of a story. Undoubtedly the amazing photographs really steal the show in this book but the author also grabbed our interest with his story. Our only criticism... “not enough bugs”... (that was the 9yr old again)! We were gifted this book for the purpose of providing an honest review.

[Craig Pifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems that I've followed the production of this book from the beginning via Mike Spinak's posts on Google+. I don't know Mike personally, but I thoroughly enjoy his photography that he frequently posts.

I have to say that I was quite pleased to finally get a chance to read this book. Although the book is not that long, it is obvious that Mike has spent a lot of time and effort on it. Just the time involved in taking the photographs show a true dedication to this project. I found it extremely easy to read, and I learned a lot from it. Hummingbirds are a favorite of mine, and I still enjoy it every time I see one, but I didn't know any of the facts that are included in the book.

After reading this, I asked my 7 year old daughter to sit down and read it as well. She agrees that it is very easy to read and very informative. She is part of a "bird club" with some her friends, and she said that she would definitely recommend this book to them.

Personally, I could see this book being easily worked into a school curriculum. Whether it be a traditional school or a home school environment, this book has great value in a place of learning.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't exactly overjoyed when author Mike Spinak sent me an unsolicited copy of "Growing Up Humming," since I already had a very long queue of books on my Kindle to be reviewed. But after flipping through a few pages, I was hooked. The photography and text are superb, depicting the fascinating story of two newborn hummingbirds as the mother feeds them and prepares them to fly off on their own. There's some added drama with one of the two youngsters being reluctant to leave the safety of the nest.

One of my summer pastimes is watching our neighborhood hummingbirds feed on a flowering lantana and a hummingbird feeder that we have next to the lantana. I photograph them often, and I'm proud of some of the shots that I've taken, but I was blown away with the quality of the author's remarkable images of the young hummingbirds as they developed and interacted with their mother. The imagery and text work perfectly together to tell a great story. The book is being marketed primarily as a children's book, but in my opinion, it's just as appealing to grownups who love nature stories.

Kudos to Mike Spinak for an extraordinary book.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A copy was provided by the author in return for an honest review.


"Fans of David Attenborough will enjoy experiencing the wonders of nature through Mike Spinak's pictures and words."

This is such a wonderful book full of beautiful photographs taken by the author himself.



The photographs tell the story of the life of a humming bird raising her chicks. The pages are filled with facts about humming birds. For example did you know that they eat up to half they're body weight each day and are the only birds that can hover in place?

If you have a kid who is into nature/animals/birds then this is a book to add to your bookshelf as this is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone in the family. I also think it's important to teach children about the world around them using real pictures and not just pages filled with illustrations. Real life can be just as interesting as any fairytale.

The only criticism I have is that the overall "look" could be improved by changing the font and placement of text to make it more pleasing to the eye.

[Sunayna Prasad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have learned a lot from this book. The vocabulary words and the facts make this book perfect for young children. I loved how the book explained the whole cycle of a hummingbird growing up. It reminded me of another book I had read, about the development and growth of a kangaroo. I also thought the names like, “big sister” and “little sister” were cute. When my two-and-a-half-year-old cousin gets a little older, perhaps, I’ll give him this book. I’d say it’s perfect for the 4 to 6 age range.

[Alma]

Growing Up Humming details the life of a Hummingbird and her chicks. Spinak's photography skills are showcased fantastically throughout the story line. This is a great book for any child four+. This is also a great book for the bird watcher on your list. Humming birds are so difficult to capture and Mike Spinak's expertise in capturing these birds in action is a real treat!

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and beautiful book about the life of a hummingbird; from fetus to flight. Pictures are great and writing is simple enough for children to understand but mature enough for teenagers as well to read it. A great book for all ages about Hummingbirds. Sweet read.

*Won this from Goodreads Giveaway*

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. The photos are so captivating you just want to gaze at them for hours rather than turn the page continue the story. This is an excellent buy.

[Ali morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Illustrations are wonderful and the story is a sweet way of showing a baby grow. Good for many ages just to look, learn and wonder.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous photos of Anna's hummingbirds in a well thought out and edited children's book. Love hummingbirds and loved this book.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Spinak, who I know on Google+, asked me to review his book Growing Up Humming, and gave me free access to a PDF copy in order to do so. He made it clear that he wasn't asking for a favourable review and that I shouldn't pull any punches, but call it as I see it.

Since, as he's surely aware if he's read many of my reviews, that's exactly what I do, I considered his request showed chutzpah. But is it still chutzpah if the book is genuinely really good?

Growing Up Humming is brilliant. Mike is a nature photographer, and a very fine one, as I already knew from seeing his photos posted on G+. He captures the maturation of two hummingbird chicks beautifully, so beautifully that I kept wondering, "How does he get these shots?"

But it's not just the photography that's good. His accompanying text is aimed at a young audience, but I, as an adult, found it both entertaining and educational. Not only did it teach me a lot about Anna's hummingbirds, but it has a subtext about growing up, being taken care of by a parent, learning from her, and then becoming self-sufficient, that while plentifully clear wasn't at all heavy-handed. It arose naturally from the description of what was going on with the hummingbird family, and made the book more than just a recitation of hummingbird facts (interesting though those were).

What's more - and this is something I bang on about a lot, as you know if you follow my reviews - the editing is flawless. It's a brief text, but I didn't spot a single error of grammar, punctuation or spelling. That should be something we can take for granted, but it very much is not (even in books produced by large corporate publishers, these days), and I appreciate it on the increasingly-rare occasions when I find it.

I've subsequently bought a print copy of the book for my wife's little goddaughter.

I have no hesitation in recommending Growing Up Humming to anyone with an interest in nature or photography, or anyone who just wants a really entertaining short book of very cool photos with a well-written text.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved this book from the author is return for an honest review

This is a simple and informative picture book on humming birds. It goes through all the stages of a baby hummingbird’s life, explaining terms like regurgitation and thermoregulation. The book tries to reach not only an adult audience but also a younger one by using terms like “Big Sister hummingbird” and as much simple language as possible to explain the complicated changes in feathers, coloring and habits etc..etc..


The only issues I found were the pictures did come across a bit grainy at times; however this could have been because I was reading it on a .pdf file. Also the font size changed quite a bit too, though I can understand why the author chose to do so. I wish the author had chosen another color aside from green, the constant green back ground and gray birds led to the pictures not being as brilliant as they could have been. People expect brightly colored birds and picture books.

This was an interesting book, I’m not huge on birds, but I appreciate anything that I can give my kids that will spark their interest education wise and teach them something. Overall I was happy with this books content. It wasn’t very long, it was easy to understand, enlightening and interesting.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. Natasha would have lost her mind over this a few years ago. Most kids picture books are neither so detailed in text, nor so well illustrated. They tend to rely on broad information and stock photos and a child can go through a huge number of, say, bat books, without picking up many specifics at all. Spinak shows two young hummingbirds, thirteen and fifteen days-old, and follows them until both have left the nest, in just over a week. Day by day you can see their feathers coming in, their beaks lengthening and straightening, and their mother getting tired of it all. The close up photography is amazing.

I think both kids and parents would enjoy this enormously, even on multiple readings.

Download provided by author for review.

[Yasmin Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For almost two years, I have been admiring Mike Spinak as a very talented nature photographer.
Now, I have the opportunity to discovered another side of his several gifts, a wonderful writer.

The Growing Up Humming book is an amazing piece of art that has a lot to offer to kids and adults,
I truly enjoyed each word and each image.

Totally recommended for several reasons... good quality, attractive, entertaining, educational and more.
Thank you :-)