Every Day Birds

by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Dylan Metrano (Illustrations)

Young readers get an introduction to twenty different types of birds, with breathtaking paper-cuttings by newcomer Dylan Metrano!

"Chickadee wears a wee black cap.Jay is loud and bold.Nuthatch perches upside-down.Finch is clothed in gold." Young readers are fascinated with birds in their world. Every Day Birds helps children identify and learn about common birds. After reading Every Day Birds, families can look out their windows with curiosity--recognizing birds and nests and celebrating the beauty of these creatures! Every Day Birds focuses on twenty North American birds, with a poem and descriptions written by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater and beautiful paper-cuttings by first-time picture book illustrator Dylan Metrano. Interesting facts about each bird are featured in the back of the book.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 23, 2016

About the author

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is author of several poetry books for children including Forest Has a Song, With My Hands, Read! Read! Read!, and Write! Write! Write!. In addition, she is author of picture books Every Day Birds, Dreaming of You, That Missing Feeling, poems in many anthologies, and popular classroom blogs The Poem Farm and Sharing Our Notebooks. Her newest book is If This Bird Had Pockets: A Poem in Your Pocket Day Celebration (March 2022).

Having studied and worked at the Teachers College Writing Project at Columbia University, Amy has been an elementary school teacher and is author of the Heinemann professional book Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres and co-author, with Lucy Calkins and Stephanie Parsons, of Poetry: Big Thoughts in Small Packages. For 23 years, she has led writing workshops and has taught lessons celebrating the power and joy of words.

Amy lives on an old farm in Holland, NY with her husband, sometimes a child or two, and a handful of sweet pets.

Reviews

[Christopher Lehman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Amy's poetry for children, so I was already partial to this one. The cut paper illustrations are amazing, detailed, and capture each bird perfectly. I love the whimsical poem and the science section at the end is perfect for curious, nature-minded readers like my own kids! Love this addition to my Amy LV library.

[Mary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous words, framable art.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short simple verses and cut-paper collage illustrations introduce young readers to common North American birds. Choosing birds that preschoolers like to notice, VanDerwater displays one bird on each page, highlighting a memorable characteristic for each. "Heron fishes with his bill./ Sparrow hops in brown./ Mockingbird has many voices./ Pigeon lives in town." Perfect for budding naturalists.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy writes so thoughtfully for young children. BIRDS introduces kids to 20 types of North American birds through poetry, a gentle rhyme. At the back of the book is more information on each bird, should the reader be curious about more. Bright, bold, colorful illustrations will draw a child's eye.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oo, I like this book. Each page is simple and bold, with one lovely illustration and one fact about that type of bird. The text rhymes in a way that feels lyrical and natural. And the endpapers have more facts about each bird!

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more than five stars! LOVE this nature book about birds. Told in clever rhyme, Every Day Birds is filled with bold illustrations. The author includes a mini-field guide at the end about listing each bird from the book. LOVE it!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Handy bird details in the back.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mentor text for informational writing

[Taylor Kundel-Gower · Rating 5 out of 5]

How great is this book?! Short, sweet, beautiful! This awesome book will help even very young children identify different birds, where you might find them, and some of their habits.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilled to bring this book down to our kindergarten to use with their bird unit.
This book is perfect for young readers!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

EVERY DAY BIRDS shares the joy of birdwatching with even the youngest, 2-5 year old ornithologists. (Although, truth be told, this not-so-young beginner learned a thing or two, as well!) Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has chosen her subjects carefully to ensure that these are birds children are likely to recognize in their daily lives, making this Junior Library Guild Selection an ideal choice for home, classrooms, or library storytime.

Using a simple, rhyming format, twenty common North American birds are introduced, one per page, along with a signature characteristic for each. The accompanying cut-paper illustrations by Dylan Metrano are striking, bringing the birds to bold, beautiful life in a truly compelling fashion. The whole poem is repeated at the back, followed by a closing section with additional facts about each bird family to continue the learning.

Described as "beginning birding at its best..." by Kirkus Reviews and "a great way to expose children to the wonders of nature, many of which are in their own backyards" by School Library Journal, EVERY DAY BIRDS should be in the hands of every child who is curious about the world around them. (And what child isn't?)

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

While exotic birds that we'll only see on a nature documentary or in a magazine may captivate our imaginations and fill us with wild possibilities, it's those birds that can be found quite frequently in our own backyards or deciduous trees that are most watchable. After all, because of their proximity, we can not only spot them but also watch them as they build their nests, search for food, and sometimes even fly in formation. In rhyming lines, a poem celebrates 20 of the most commonly seen birds, including the jay, the robin, and the bluebird. Some of the descriptions are downright clever, perfect for enticing youngsters into the book's pages while also encouraging them to look for the birds found in the book. Thumbnail sketches at the end of the book offer additional information about each bird, and the brightly colored illustrations, fashioned from paper that was cut and then layered, are outstanding and work well to depict the birds and their various perches or habitats. This book is ideal for young readers who will enjoy the colors of the birds on the book's pages as well as having the chance to glimpse at least one of the birds nearby.

[Christine Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Every day we watch for birds weaving through the sky.
We listen to their calls and songs.
We like to see them fly."

So begins this poem that has been transformed into a picture book. From there we learn a bit about the chickadee, the jay, the nuthatch and the finch, as well as 16 other types of birds. Several pages at the end of the book contain additional information about each type of bird mentioned in the book.

This is a great way to introduce young readers to the subject of birds. Not only are the illustrations colorful and expressive, and the text not only rhymes, the sentences are very short.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a simple yet beautiful book. The illustrations are cut paper, and there is just so much detail on each bird. Each bird has it's own page, and gives a little fact that young kids can comprehend. The pictures are large and bold, great for teaching youngins' how to identify these birds. The end of the book includes the entire book/poem on two pages, and more facts about each type of bird. I'm definitely bringing this book home for Addie!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple but lovely collage illustrations and rhyming text introduce 20 common birds. This is a perfect book to use with young children both to provide information and to entice them into watching and understanding birds. Additional information about each bird is provided at the back.

Purely personal comment here but I am always astonished at how few people can identify common birds so this may help adults as well!

[Christiane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bold illustrations and simple text ("Woodpecker taps hollow trees.") introduce children to common birds they might see in their backyard or neighborhood (crow, sparrow, heron, pigeon, etc.). I really like the cut-paper illustrations by Dylan Metrano. There is a section at the end with more information about the different birds. Great for classrooms!

[Ms.Gaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noteworthy easy nonfiction. In poetic lines of 5 words or less, 20 common American birds are described in appearance or movement. Using only a few colors per bird, the cut paper images aptly depict the unique shape and color of each bird. Simple enough for a preschooler to enjoy, with additional info at the end. Ages 4-8

[Abigail Rothwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book of poems for children. It is a rhyme full of types of birds, and how they are Also, in the end of the book, it provides pictures and descriptions of the birds. I love this book, because you can take students on a field trip at a local park. The students can then search for the birds in the book.

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love birds so it’s no surprise that this book was a hit at our house. The illustrations are beautifully illustrated and striking with solid, contrasting backgrounds. The text includes a short verse about each bird, and lots of information at the back of the book to expand knowledge. Defiantly a must read for bird lovers, young and old.

[Jennifer Miera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colorful, yet simplistic stained glass-like" illustrations adorn this sweet introduction to common birds. More informational text about each bird appears at the end of the book, as well as resources where one might find more detailed information about birds.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful cut paper illustrations compliment this rhyming introduction to nearly two dozen common North American birds. More detailed back matter, links, and suggestions for further study.

As a judge for the CYBILS award, I received a copy of this book for free in return for honest evaluation.

[Lynn A. Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for young readers who are interested in learning about birds. For each bird there is a little poem and a lovely description so the reader can identify the bird. Back matter is included with more information about each one.

[Rebecca Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty North American birds are surveyed in this story, written in verse. The lines are simple but help children identify various birds. The illustrations are bright and accurate. At the end, more facts are presented about birds should children wish to learn more.

[Janet Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a simplistic book that covers a wide variety of common birds! Large simplistic illustrations accompanied by rhyming verse makes for a great story time book.

[Linda Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

toddler friendly

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

simple and beautiful

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice information for different birds.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poetic look at birds complete with facts about each type that the reader can easily recall when bird-watching in their own backyard.

Cut paper illustrations. Great read aloud for PreK-2.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are so realistic the birds seem to jump off the pages!

The simple rhyming text gives us a glimpse into the life of each bird.

Fuller descriptions are included at the back.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very simple, but appealing introduction to common North American "every day" birds. This will be great to have when I get the spring bird requests. Back information provides a little more depth.