Feathers: Not Just for Flying

by Melissa Stewart, Sarah S. Brannen (Illustrator)

Young naturalists meet sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many uses of feathers. A concise main text highlights how feathers are not just for flying. More curious readers are invited to explore informative sidebars, which underscore specific ways each bird uses its feathers for a variety of practical purposes. A scrapbook design showcases life-size feather illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Science, Birds, Animals, Nature, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2013

About the author

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 science and nature books for children. She offers a wide range of programs for schools, libraries, nature centers, and conferences. www.melissa-stewart.com"

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely. And educational, and engaging.

Important to know that natural selection / evolution is blind... we don't know exactly how it happened that dinosaurs evolved feathers and became the birds we know today, but when we read a book like this we can see that there were lots of things that feathers could do to help those who had them survive long enough to reproduce.... Stewart doesn't go into that and in fact has minimal supplemental material, which is why I'm rounding down from 4.5 stars instead of up; but I still highly recommend the book.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feathers is designed like a scrapbook, and it counts with wonderful illustrations. The text is concrete and easy to understand. Its goal is to show all the different uses feathers have for different birds. Each use of a feather is compared with common objects well known by kids and that have this same use for us: feathers are warm as a blanket, protect the skin like sunscreen, soak water like a sponge, or attract attention like jewellery. These are only a few of the "jobs" feathers have. You will be surprised!

Age range: 5 to 10 years old

Check out more children's book reviews in my Reviews in Chalk Blog!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We found this delightful. It was engaging enough for my four-year-old and seven-year-old while providing some "ah-ha!" moments for me, too. Wonderful introduction to the many ways feathers help our feathered friends -- "not just for flying" ;-)

[Lauren Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book great for teaching classification. Feathers have so many purposes like sunscreen, warmth, cushions and acting like sponges.

[Kian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Amanda up North · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a children's project on feathers this month for our area library. This was, hands down, the best book I found on feathers!

[Alexis Imler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stewart, M., & Brannen, S. S. (2014). Feathers: Not just for flying. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Recommended grade level: K-3
Format: Nonfiction
Themes: Birds, nonfiction
Major Awards:
Chicago Public Library's Best Informational Books for Younger Readers
Cybils, Elementary & Middle Grade nonfiction
Bulletin Blue Ribbon from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
ALA Notable Children's Books
John Burroughs Riverby Award for Young Readers
AAAS's Science Books & Films Best List
Illinois State Library Monarch Award Master List
NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
ILA Teachers' Choices
Kiss the Book – Top 50 Elementary
Crystal Kite Member Choice Award


Summary:
In the book titled, Feathers Not Just for Flying, the author takes the reader on a journey with young naturalists that explore 16 different types of birds and introduces the various feathers that are on the birds. The author portrays that feathers are indeed not just for flying, as they are a form of protection, attract attention, and distract predators.

Personal Response:
When I first looked at this book, I was not very interested in the subject of birds. Then when I looked at the pages, they were so appealing and laid out like a scrap book which I really enjoyed. The author and illustrator really corresponded well with one another by stating facts and describing birds in a fun and engaging manner. Each bird had a nice portrait that captioned its habitat along with a geographic location. This made me as a reader make a mental note about where the birds could be found and located throughout the world.

Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are very unique and are spread on double pages therefore, it gives the reader a feel like the pages are a bulletin board or like a scrap book. The illustrator does a fantastic job of creating realistic pictures in the book using watercolors. The layout of the book is so neat that if you made a poster of all of the pages, it would be very organized and factual. This was by far one of my favorite books to look at because it was so appealing to the eye.

Reader Response/Classroom Connections
The overarching message of this book is to show that feathers are indeed not just for flying. Birds are the only animals that have feathers and this makes them unique and special.
Art: The teacher could bring in feather and students could create their own bird with construction paper, glue, markers, scissors, and the teacher provided feathers.
Language Arts: Students could create poems about birds and identify key words that they learned about birds from the book.
History: The students could study about how each state has a state bird.
Science: Students could go on a nature walk with their teacher and identify different types of birds that they see on their walk.
Mathematics: Students could calculate how far an average bird will fly during migration.

[Kathryn Dykes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stewart, Melissa. Feathers: Not Just for Flying. Charlesbridge, 2014. 32 p. Gr. 1-4.

Plot Summary: Discover the beauty, multipurpose functions, and fascinating tidbits that bird feathers can possess. Sixteen different varieties of birds and their feathers are closely examined throughout this book, from a blue jay whose feathers act as a warm blanket, to the willow ptarmigans’ who grow long feathers over their toes, allowing them to scamper across the snow in the winter. Melissa Stewart provides excellent connections on a personal level by relating the functions of each feather to something familiar, such as mute swans who feathers help them to stay afloat like a life jacket, allowing children to filter the information into a pre-existing schema. The beautiful watercolor illustrations are pieced together in a scrapbook fashion, with sidebars that provide interesting factoids about each, photograph-like drawings of birds in their natural habitat, and a life size feather that are captivating.

Classroom Connections: To incorporate this book into your classroom the teacher can have each student research information about a specific bird, not listed in the book, and put together a scrapbook on the information they learned. Their scrapbook should include a drawing of their assigned bird, a description about the function of their feathers, where the bird originates, and three facts they found interesting about the bird. The students can then display their scrapbook on their desks and walk around the classroom to view their classmates work.
Another activity that would integrate math in grades 2-4 is to do a migration map. The teacher can give students several math problems related to distance and measuring, which they can solve while working in small groups. Each groups of students will be given a different map that relates to a particular bird and its travel route. The students will take turns measuring with a ruler to calculate how far the bird travels.

[Sarah Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feathers Not Just for Flying by Melissa Stewart is a nonfiction children’s book made for ages 6-9. Each page presents the different purpose feathers have for birds while comparing them to practical items children know. For children who are looking for a more informative book, this is also for them. It offers a deeper look into sixteen different birds and how they specifically use their feathers. This book won the Keystone to Reading Book Award and the Riverby Award. This book deserves 5 stars and more. The book is engaging for all aged readers. For young children, the illustrations are beautifully done. The colors are inviting and the detail is outstanding. For beginning readers, the font is slightly bigger and it corresponds to the pictures. For older readers, there is an informative box on each page offering more details on each bird and details you can gather of their environment. This book would be a great tool for my classroom of four year olds. I would print out an outline of a feather and have each child choose their favorite one to replicate. They can decorate them with crayons, paint and markers.

[Emma Rewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible illustrations and interesting content! However, it was very difficult for my students to follow the start of the sentence to the next page with all of the captions and sidebars in between. It detracted from the beautiful similes because we had to retrace our thoughts every time we turned the page. I wish each thought finished on each page rather than jumping our brains all around.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feathers do so many things for birds and this book looks at all of the ways that feathers help birds in the wild. Sixteen different birds are featured in the book, each one with a specific focus on what they use their feathers for. There is the wood duck who lines her nest with feathers to keep her eggs cushioned. The red-tailed hawk uses their feather to protect them from the sun as they fly for hours. Other birds use their feathers in unique ways like the rosy-faced lovebird who tucks nesting materials into her rump feathers to take back to where she is building her nest. Towards the end of the book, the author looks at all of the different sorts of feathers that birds have.

Stewart tells readers in her Author Note that this was a book she had worked on for some time as an idea. Her use of metaphors to show what feathers do is an inspired choice, making the book all the more accessible for children. She provides details with specific birds, explaining how they use their feathers and also providing little pieces of information on how the birds live and their habitats.

The watercolor illustrations are done to look like a naturalists field journal with scraps of paper, loose feathers, notes, cup rings, and scraps of fabric. All of the images of the birds have their locations as well, adding to the field journal feel. The result is richly visual book that may inspire readers to start their own bird journals.

This is a book that will instruct and amaze, just the right sort of science book for young readers. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Feathers: Not Just for Flying
Author: Melissa Stewart
Genre: Nonfiction

Summary: This book is a useful tool when teaching children about birds. It accounts all the uses birds have for feathers. It shows kids the different kids of birds and the protective and useful ways they use their feathers.

Criteria for nonfiction: At the end of the book the author gives a description of how she comes to writing her books. She says she uses the internet (for journal articles from experts), her own observations and magazines, newspapers and books. This shows that she is a credible source to write nonfiction books. The information is definitely up to date because the book was published in 2014. There is definitely no sense of opinion in her writing because the birds are all observable in the natural world. The information is organized in a clear and thoughtful way. There are pictures of each of the birds on every page. There is also another picture connected to the use of feathers of each bird which can help students make more connections.

Reader's Response: For an activity after reading the book I would try to have a copy for each student. I would then have each student draw their favorite bird from the book, or any other one they may have. Next they will describe one way that the bird uses their feathers. For this nonfiction I can also have my students do additional research, depending on the grade level. I can have them pick a type of bird and have them answer where it lives, what it eats, etc.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stewart made a cross-cutting narrative that was a clear arc across the entire book, using similes to find human connection to the information. This broader presentation is in large print at the top of each page, suggesting a read-aloud of the entire book to get the main point (diverse functions of feathers on various kinds of birds) before coming back to look at the detailed text vignettes on each page that explain feather functions in more informational terms.

Remarkable illustrations, challenging material, demanding a realism that must have been painstaking. What was even more fun about the illustration was how Brannen illustrated all the little adhesives and office supplies (frames, paper, cardboard, pins, paperclips, tape, staples). This gave me the feeling that I was looking at her visual research, not just at her paintings. I loved how this playful postmodern decision makes me think about Brannen and storyboarding process.

While some of the writing work, and certainly the illustrations added to the informational outline, this is clearly one of those books where the question "is it better than looking at the wikipedia page" raises my eyebrows. I think there should have been a different cut through this topic to justify a full four-color hard-cover picture book.

[Charity Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did you think of the book? I think this book is fascinating-just because it's not something you typically think about. I think bird are gross but learning about their feathers and learning that they are used for more than just flying is interesting.
What resonated with you? learning that feathers are used for more than flying -such as protecting birds from the sun and rain. It is not something you typically think about.
Where were you most drawn into the story? There wasn't a particular part that I was drawn to. I guess-I like the fact that the book has a variety of was to present the different types of feathers. It's almost like it is a scrapbook filled with feather rather than just a book filled with them.
Where was your transaction with the text the most powerful? Again, nothing really jumps out to me. I do think that students will appreciate this book because there is just something they like about birds.
What will you carry with you from the reading experience?The different uses for feathers.
Would you recommend the book to others and why? Yes. I think children would particularly enjoy this book because art used in this book. They would be drawn to the different colors.
How might you use the book in your classroom? I would use this book during an animal unit and allow students to use it as a deeper study on birds.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feathers: Not Just for Flying by Melissa Stewart (2014). LOVE THIS BOOK! So many possibilities. Stewart focuses on just birds' feathers and the many different purposes of feathers. Each page or two-page spread has a statement with a simile in large print like "Feathers can shade out sun like an umbrella." Then there is a text box with smaller print describing how one particular bird (like the Tricolored heron, Florida Everglades) uses its feathers in this way. Students 2nd-5th will enjoy listening to this read aloud and then rereading and examining the illustrations in the classroom library. There's even more potential for this text as a mentor for writers. Students, overwhelmed by research, might just focus on one aspect of an animal or multiple animals. Close reading of one description of a bird might help them think about the types of details to include. They can also play around with figurative language, layout and design - using Stewart's book as a model. Check out Stewart's note at the end about her research - she talks about all of the resources she consulted and how she wrote several versions before it went to publication.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good explanations about how feathers vary depending on the bird and. The author describes the feathers' functions by comparing to familiar objects such as a sponge, pillow and sled. Recognizable and easy method for kids to understand. Watercolor illustrations are clear and the book's format is that of a journal or scrapbook with pictures taped, stapled or pinned in. The last two-page spread shows types of feathers one bird may have on its body.

There are a few problems. The two-page spread showing how feathers can help a bird float like a life jacket shows a girl in a boat wearing a life jacket. It would probably be more accurate to say the feathers help a bird float like a boat or to show the girl in the water with her life jacket on. The two-page spread stating that "But most of all, feathers can give birds the lift they need to race across the sky" is inaccurate. Considering the author depicted penguins two pages before, she might have remembered that not all birds fly.

No bibliography despite the author's note talking about her research and mentioning an article that originally inspired her to write this book (what, we can't even get the article title?).

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know feathers can protect like sunscreen, or dig holes like a backhoe? I didn't, until this book, which compares the jobs of feathers to human needs. It gives students a better understanding of the various functions.
Presented like a scrapbook, each bird has a headline introduction, images of the bird in their environment, a fact piece, a closeup of a feather, and something that represents the job. Each piece looks like a separate piece of paper or an object, and some are taped to the 'background', others are held with pins. The large image of the bird has a location written under it to tell a possible location where the bird can be seen. Nice that the author included her home state of Maine for the blue jay! Other birds can be found as far away as India. The illustrations are carefully done to show details of the feathers, these are quite colorful against pale backgrounds.
The section, "Kinds of Feathers" tells reader about how scientists categorize feathers, and indicates the debate about how best to do that.

[Shay Rost · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Feathers: Not Just For Flying" is a nonfiction book for ages 5-8. This book teaches us all about bird feathers. The author writes about the different kind of birds and their feathers and uses similes to help us learn about the birds they come from and that feathers are useful for them in many ways; they don't just use them to fly. This book has illustrations to accompany the authors information, so students can begin to identify what different feathers look like.

Another book that we can use to accompany this text is a fiction book called, "Feathers For Lunch" by Lois Ehlert. This book is fiction and can be used with young children between 3-8 years old. "Feathers for Lunch " is a funny book about a very hungry cat who tries desperately to catch a bird to eat for lunch, only ends up catching the birds' feathers. There are different types of birds throughout the story (blue jay, cardinal, robin, etc) and while children are reading, they can help identify what kind of bird it is and who the feather belongs to.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when I discover picture book nonfiction that teaches me something new. While picture book nonfiction is, of course, designed to teach children, I'm always extra impressed when I learn something new as well. To me that means the author and illustrator have done their homework and made the book as good as possible. The author has done a fabulous job sharing information about feathers that I'd never heard before. For example, I had no idea that some birds use some of their feathers to dig out a burrow or that the Club-winged manakin uses some of its feathers to whistle. The comparison of feathers to other objects also makes the book a great teaching tool as well. The illustrations are beautiful and I love the design which makes the book look like a scrapbook. The large text is perfect for reading out loud with younger children while the smaller text adds details for older readers. All in all a fabulous addition to picture book nonfiction in all libraries.

[Reshamad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part journal, part scrap-book, this creative non-fiction is a superb way of getting children acquainted with the subject. We loved the presentation and style of the book. The facts are easy to read and nicely summarized. Kids will love to read unusual facts such as how the heron will raise its wings while searching for food. The shade blocks out the sun’s glare and allows it to spot tasty fish to eat.

I am continuously impressed by the creative presentation of Non Fiction picture books. Making nonfiction accessible to children of this age group requires imagination. Melissa Stewart, author of over 100 nonfiction picture books, does not disappoint! In “Feathers, not just for flying”, Stewart uses 16 birds as an example, from backyard blue jays to exotic birds like the peacock and winged manakin.

Full review here: http://wp.me/p31uZH-Us

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with lovely and detailed watercolor illustrations, this book offers readers plenty of interesting information about feathers. The title of the book pretty much reveals its content. Much as most of us might associate the feathers that bedeck birds with their flight, there is much more to feathers than that marvelous function. The author describes how feathers can warm or shade birds, cushion them and their eggs, and even function as sunscreen. For every advantage listed for feathers, the text provides examples and a brief discussion. Adding to the book's usefulness for the classroom, the Author's Note describes the book's inspiration and the author's research process. Teachers will certainly want to add this one to their classroom shelves.

[Deb Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Feathers Not Just For Flying, 16 birds are observed on the practical purposes of their feathers. The life-size illustrations and realistic watercolors show the differences and similarities between these beautiful birds. Each page begins with feathers can…then elaborate on the distinct job of a bird’s lifeline. From offering camouflage to digging holes, feathers are revealed for more than a pretty outer shell. Below each illustration, the author offers detailed information on where the birds live, but also on exactly how feathers protect birds in their unique environments. This book would be a wonderful addition for an elementary classroom and offer students a subtle look into the importance of feathers for our flying friends.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting informational text--and what a way to think about organizing a topic. Great for showing how a broad statement (feathers can warm like a blanket) can (should?) be followed with a specific example/supporting details (on cold, damp days a blue jay stays warm by fluffing up its feathers and trapping a layer of warm air next to its skin). And I could teach gerunds, too! A great addition to this book is the author's note in the back where she talks about how she got the topic idea (while working on another project), how she conducts inquiry (including her own nature notebooks), and how long it took her (three years, countless drafts, and four complete overhauls). Well worth it--and what could that teach us and our students?

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great nonfiction picture book about feathers and their myriad uses. I loved how different types of feathers are compared to different items - jewelry, backhoes, sponges, life jackets and snowshoes. Each page has two levels of text. The main text compares the feathers to the objects. Each page also has a short paragraph giving more information about the comparison. Each comparison also has a picture of the bird using its feathers in the cited manner, a picture of the feathers that are being discussed, and a picture of the object that the feathers are being compared to.

Make sure to read the author's note telling about her process. A must have book for any classroom studying birds, and for families that enjoy looking at and learning about birds.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the layout of this book. It looks like a scrapbook — handwritten notes that appear to be taped next to snapshots and feathers, all collected and arranged lovingly and artistically across the pages. Not only did it go into the difference between feather (down vs. flight feathers, etc.), but it also discussed the different uses for feathers (did you know that some birds use their feathers to sweep dirt out of the nests that they dig in the ground?) My son left our reading of this book wanting to start his own feather collection!

*****

If you'd like to read my full blog post about my favorite picture books about birds, click on Picture Books about Birds

[Amy Hesterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone can learn something from "Feathers;" no matter what the age! With each page I turned, I couldn't help but be reminded of the creativity of God in usage, design, and purpose of the feather. One of my favorite parts in the book is Melissa's author's note in the back. In plain language, she explains to her young readers the process she goes through when researching for a new book. This explanation is valuable to students because it is easily a way they could research something as well. They might think, "If the author can gain this much information about feathers from researching this way, I bet I can too!" Amazing illustrations make this book complete.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melissa Stewart takes readers on a quick survey of many of the uses of feathers other than just flying or keeping birds warm. In doing so she also highlights a good variety of birds from all over the world, that are fantastically illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen.

If you're studying birds, make sure to include this. It is a fairly quick read, but covers a topic that is not frequently covered in this depth by any school textbook or very many other picture books either. There is a main text which is very brief, illustrations that compare the usage of the feather to another readily recognized object and then a text box with further information so this can be used with a wide range of ages.

[Alyssa Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction- Picture Book
I really enjoyed this nonfiction picture book. I would recommend using this book with primary elementary aged students. The book discusses the different purposes for feathers other than flying. For example feathers can be used for warmth, for shade, or for cushion. The book also has fantastic illustrations of the different types of feathers. On each page it also highlights one of the birds and its purpose for feather.

This is a great book to focus on different non-fiction text features as well as finding the main idea of the text and different sections. I would definitely recommend to have this in your classroom library.

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that feathers help a bird to do more than fly and keep warm? Feathers can be like a sponge, or a backhoe! Sixteen birds and the special ways they use their feathers are featured. The multi-layered text allows adults to read the book to younger children with optional details for older children.  

Katie Z. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sixteen different birds are featured in this non-fiction book, which shows what their particular feathers are used for. For instance, did you know that a blue jay has many different lengths of blue, white and gray feathers in order to keep warm when the weather turns cold. The female lovebird uses its feathers to carry sticks to its nesting place. This is a very interesting book children who are trying to learn about birds. The descriptions are simple and pictures in the book are so useful.