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What Bluebirds Do
Stunning full-color photographs reveal the fascinating home life of a pair of Eastern bluebirds in this John Burroughs Nature Books for Young Readers Award winner. A sky-blue male and his young mate perch and flutter as they select the perfect place to lay their eggs and raise their chicks—a nest box built especially for them. Soon, hatchlings gape hungrily for their next meal. The mother alights at the opening with a beak full of worms. Later, the father launches himself from the nest box, carrying away a chick-dropping-in-a-sack. As the chicks grow, fledge, and learn to find food on their own, award-winning photographer Pamela Kirby is there, capturing close-ups and action shots. Through her photos and simple text, she enthralls young readers with the natural beauty and amazing behaviors of these beloved backyard birds.
"There is no other book like What Bluebirds Do. It will capture adults and children alike." —Helen Munro, President and Editor North Carolina Bluebird Society
"There is no other book like What Bluebirds Do. It will capture adults and children alike." —Helen Munro, President and Editor North Carolina Bluebird Society
48 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 18, 2021
This was a great book to learn more about bluebirds. We have a new nest box with a family in it and this book was helpful to understand more about them. The photographs were outstanding. The tips and extra information at the end of the book were an added plus
April 22, 2019
Nonfiction
3rd-5th grade
This is a good book for students to read about the bluebirds that they could see in their own back yard! I think this is a good book to have because then students can try and identify which birds they see in the school yard or even in their backyards. It gives a good description of each blue bird, which would be helpful to correctly identify what blue bird the child is seeing.
3rd-5th grade
This is a good book for students to read about the bluebirds that they could see in their own back yard! I think this is a good book to have because then students can try and identify which birds they see in the school yard or even in their backyards. It gives a good description of each blue bird, which would be helpful to correctly identify what blue bird the child is seeing.
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April 29, 2024Random #52737
This is a children's book about a family of bluebirds that the author photographed in her backyard. The photos are nice, and I learned a few things about bluebirds. On the whole, the book has an unfortunate "PowerPoint presentation" vibe, and the writing feels a little phoned in, but I imagine it succeeded largely in what it set out to do.
This is a children's book about a family of bluebirds that the author photographed in her backyard. The photos are nice, and I learned a few things about bluebirds. On the whole, the book has an unfortunate "PowerPoint presentation" vibe, and the writing feels a little phoned in, but I imagine it succeeded largely in what it set out to do.
September 22, 2018
This gorgeous book, reaffirmed and offered more information on the process we observed this spring with a bluebird family. The pictures and short story-like explanations were perfect for children and adults alike. This was a perfect gem that our family found just wandering around the library shelves, but we highly recommend!!!
October 24, 2017
Very informative book and breath taking photos. Read for term 1 AO..krb 10/23/17
July 28, 2022
Clear and vibrant photos of real birds matched with a personal story of a pair of birds that nest in the author's backyard.
May 7, 2009
Kirby, Pamela F. What Bluebirds Do pgs. 32 Boyds Mills Press Language~G, Sexual Content~G; Violence~G
Do you have a bird feeder in your backyard? Have you ever wondered how the birds nest and raise their babies? Pamela Kirby has created a masterful, yet simple to understand book that introduces readers to a bluebird couple and follows them through their first nest and brood. Kirby has expertly peppered this engaging story with facts about these birds and includes valuable vocabulary building terms within the text. Unlike many non-fiction books, this title was not text heavy and yet I learned much! Incredible photographs accompany each part of the story. The additional information provided in the afterword is also superb. No non-fiction collection for elementary age children would be complete without this title!
ELM–ESSENTIAL Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Library
Do you have a bird feeder in your backyard? Have you ever wondered how the birds nest and raise their babies? Pamela Kirby has created a masterful, yet simple to understand book that introduces readers to a bluebird couple and follows them through their first nest and brood. Kirby has expertly peppered this engaging story with facts about these birds and includes valuable vocabulary building terms within the text. Unlike many non-fiction books, this title was not text heavy and yet I learned much! Incredible photographs accompany each part of the story. The additional information provided in the afterword is also superb. No non-fiction collection for elementary age children would be complete without this title!
ELM–ESSENTIAL Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Library
April 17, 2009
Elementary school children have an insatiable curiosity for wildlife books. More than stories, these are the books that come home from the library to read with mom and dad. And excellent they are for the one-on-one on the couch, for book animals need to be observed at length, closely, as the creatures outside the windows are rarely sitting still. Pamela Kirby, who wrote the text and took the photos of this bluebird family, got her inspiration from Laurance Sawyer, naturalist, artist, and the Bluebird Man of Georgia. Kirby has made real characters with personalities of these bluebirds, without anthropomorphizing, and the photos and captions are perfectly matched. A delightful book for the readers and the read-to.
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December 6, 2012Kirby, Pamela (2009). What Bluebirds Do. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. 32 pp. ISBN 978-1-59078-614-7 (Hardcover); $18.95.
Stunning, vivid close-up photography captures the beauty, wonder, and drama of an Eastern bluebird family. This high quality publication is a treat to hold and a joy to behold. It would be well worth purchasing for just the photography alone. The text is geared for the very young naturalist, but the bluebird photography is filled with beauty, drama, and even humor. We follow a bluebird family through the seasons discovering the rhythms and patterns of its life.
Stunning, vivid close-up photography captures the beauty, wonder, and drama of an Eastern bluebird family. This high quality publication is a treat to hold and a joy to behold. It would be well worth purchasing for just the photography alone. The text is geared for the very young naturalist, but the bluebird photography is filled with beauty, drama, and even humor. We follow a bluebird family through the seasons discovering the rhythms and patterns of its life.
October 4, 2010
This is a great book for any young reader who is interested in birds. Filled with amazing photgraphs, the author did a masterful job of giving the reader just enough information to be educational, but still entertaining. Following two bluebirds that are raising a nest full of baby Bluebirds. Truly amazing photographs will do as much explaining as the text does. A great addition to any juvenile non fiction collection.
April 29, 2011
Beautiful. Gorgeous up-close photography with text for the young reader to understand. The book follows a pair of Eastern Bluebirds from mating to where the young are beautiful little Bluebirds and fly well and feed themselves. It gives a lot of good information on the three types of Bluebirds. It explains how to help bring back this beautiful bird that was once in danger of disappearing. Very nice book.
October 9, 2013
Again, a great way to teach children about animals. I loved this story about two bluebirds who meet, build a nest, mate, and have chicks. The pictures are a wonderful way to show readers what the birds, and the nest look like. It distinguishes what the male and female look like as well as their adorable little chick. This may excite the reader to learn more about birds and check out the birds that are outside their own home or school! Good read!
January 23, 2012
This book follows two Bluebirds as they meet, court, make a nest, and have a family. The photographs beautifully illustrate the text which is informative but never dry or boring. My daughter loves reading about animals and was captivated by this story. It sparked lots of conversation and more reading. I highly recommend it.
January 10, 2013
Do you have a bird feeder in your backyard? Have you ever wondered how the birds nest and raise their babies? Pamela Kirby has created a masterful, yet simple to understand book that introduces readers to a bluebird couple and follows them through their first nest and brood. Incredible photogrpahs accompany each part of the story.
August 22, 2009
This book was obviously written with young children in mind. The text is simple and informative, and the photographs are stunning. I love that it is the story of two actual bluebirds and their family rather than just another straightforward list of facts about bluebirds in general.
June 11, 2011
This is a great nonfiction book for young children. Its format mimics a typical picture book but its content is true nonfiction. The photos are great and there are only 1-3 sentences per page. Children will enjoy seeing how baby blue birds develop.
August 7, 2009
Beautiful photo illustrations.
March 31, 2011
Beautiful photographs illustrate a straightforward text about the life of bluebirds. Fascinating.
June 20, 2013
Narrative nonfiction text for 627 unit.
November 13, 2013
This book was very entertaining and simple yet very informative. I liked the close up photography and that instead of just telling was bluebirds do, it tells a story opposed to just listing facts.
February 8, 2016
The photographs in this book are fabulous.
March 9, 2016
Wonderful photographs help readers understand how parents take care of their babies. Supports Next-Gen first grade life science.
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September 27, 2013A book about bluebirds and how they raise their young.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews