We Are Starlings: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration

by Robert Furrow, Donna Jo Napoli, Marc Martin (Illustrator)

A stunning picture book for young nature lovers about starlings and the fascinating phenomenon of murmurations. Illustrated by the award-winning artist Marc Martin, this book about the natural world vividly explores how such an enigma is even possible.

Sweeping, diving, twisting, turning. To look up at a murmuration of starlings is an experience like no other. Hundreds, thousands, and sometimes millions of starlings fly together as one flock. The group ripples, whirls, and waves as each bird stays close to its neighbors in a harmonious synchronicity of movement. 

The story is told from the point of view of the flock, which gives the reader an inside look at what is happening, and the breathtaking illustrations perfectly capture the ebb and flow of a murmuration. Young readers will witness and fully appreciate the extraordinary communication and collaboration abilities of these birds and may be able to apply these lessons to their own lives.

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

40 pages, Library Binding

Published May 9, 2023

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Can we all be starlings?

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of nature picture books and liked this one. The illustrations are lovely, but I docked a star for the uninspired writing. With better text this would have been a 5 star read. My recommendation would be to make up your own text as you "read" this to the littles in your life.

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful, gentle illustrations perfectly convey the movement of a murmuration of starlings, even in on a static, two-dimensional page. Especially fascinating was the progression of pages that, Escher-like, turns two starlings into millions. I did wish the color of the sky changed a bit more through the book, suggesting the feeling of moving through a day. And the words feel almost as though they hinder the illustrations—and what words could match the majesty of the visuals? Such visuals need poetry, not descriptions of what’s happening on each page.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have the pleasure of seeing murmurations in Iowa. Sometimes, when they are close by, the noise is amazingly loud, almost a force of nature. This book is both gorgeously illustrated and evocative of a murmuration, something to pass the wonder of such a thing on to the next generation. This is fantastic.

[EileneC · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nonfiction picture book, "We Are Starlings: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration" by Robert Furrow and Donna Jo Napoli (2023) was illustrated by Marc Martin. I read the hardcover version from my local library, which I initially found online on the Database of Award-Winning Children’s Literature. It was honored with the New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book award. This book is an informational picture book, as noted in our textbook, it “features brief text and large illustrations essential for conveying information” (p. 181).

Robert Furrow, one of the authors, is an animal scientist with a passion for birding. As a bird enthusiast, I was naturally drawn to this beautifully illustrated book. Children would be curious about the cover, which depicts a glowing orange-peach sky with a murmuration of starlings. A murmuration is when thousands of birds twist and turn together in the sky, in giant waves. The book enables readers to imagine they are inside the flock, from a starling’s point of view.

Chapter 12 states that nonfiction books should be accurate, have “impressive illustrations,” and avoid personification. “We Are Starlings” does all three with a story-like voice. The book is written with many vocabulary words, such as “murmur,” “allies,” and “flock.” The middle of the book has two pages that open to a four-page spread of an enormous murmuration of thousands of birds twisting to escape a falcon.

The illustrations by Marc Martin help readers feel like they are flying right along with the flock. These pictures show the immense size of a murmuration, featuring thousands of birds. When one changes direction, the entire flock changes course with speed and accuracy. No birds crash into each other.

This would be an engaging read-aloud book for children in grades K-2, and they would enjoy the illustrations. I like to use videos to enhance learning, and there are student-friendly videos online to show how quickly these birds change direction and shape of their flock in the air. After reading the book and showing a video, students could respond to a writing prompt in a couple of sentences and a drawing: “How would you feel flying with thousands of birds? (Brave? Excited? Calm?)

Because of the fantastic illustrations and story, I will recommend this book to my first-grade teacher to enhance her library as a suggestion for our class project.

[Rebecca Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

The nonfiction picture book We Are Starlings by Robert Furrow and Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Marc Martin (Random House, May 2023), invites readers into the mesmerizing world of a starling murmuration. Watercolor, pencil, and digital collage illustrations give a delicate balance between misty-edged watercolor plants and animals and the defined edges of closer birds. The thousands of tiny watercolor starlings create a sense of movement as the birds merge together, forming beautiful shapes in the sky.

A first person narration from one of the starlings explores the group of birds’ day from early morning until evening. The story explores the true marvel of starlings flying together and protecting one another. My daughter and I are enchanted by the intricate dance of millions of starlings, looping and swirling through the air as if choreographed. The illustrations beautifully capture this dance, depicting millions of tiny dots moving in perfect harmony. From the beginning of the day to its end, the starlings’ collective performance is both awe-inspiring and captivating.

We found a video on YouTube so we could see these birds in a real murmuration.


Having watched that video, I think the book is even more well done! The depictions of the birds “dancing” seems so scientifically accurate in its portrayal of the fascinating birds. As a helpful educational touch, We Are Starlings has two pages of end matter with more information about starlings, further piquing readers’ curiosity about these fascinating birds. We Are Starlings is not only an enchanting read but also an enjoyable exploration of the wonders of nature. We found it in the nonfiction section, because even with the engaging and simple narration, the factual illustrations and text truly teach.

On the blog: https://reviews.rebeccareid.com/we-ar...

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting that Furrow, the professor, is from California, yet the illustrator is from Australia. Well, that's fine, starlings are starlings. Which is why this book is valuable: let's get the kids amazed by wildlife that they can still see, from wherever they live, whether suburb, favela, city, or country, across the world. Don't miss the fold-out pages and the note at the end.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated book. While I may now have appreciation of starlings and how they travel in large groups, it doesn’t make it any easier when a huge flock swoops down and consumes my block of suet in very little time!

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted more. Because I was truly mesmerized by these birds. The illustrations and words all flowed lyrically as one.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations and just enough facts for little ones to learn about starlings.

[mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful nonfiction picture book!

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this concept and was hopeful as I requested this book from our local library. The illustrations are apt. Granted, it's tough to render a 3-D (even 4-D?!) phenomenon with great fidelity in a 2-D picture book. But the artist (Marc Martin) does a yeoman's job of that.

Even though I understand that this is a children's book, I just found the text a little anti-climactic and thus disappointing, alas....

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This recent nonfiction picture book, WE ARE STARLINGS: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration is also a writing collaboration. This time the authors are Robert Furrow and Donna Jo Napoli with glorious images by author/illustrator Marc Martin.
This picture book is large-format, including a double-gatefold spread that allows a stunning murmuration to span nearly a meter on the sprawling pages. This new release is nonfiction with impressive and informative back matter. The illustrator provides brilliant colors and images, from closely focused to sprawling expanses. WE ARE STARLINGS (even in that title) moves from the collective to smaller segments within a flock.
This title is a welcome explanation (partially) for anyone who has ever witnessed a murmuration and wondered things like "How do they do that?' or "Why don't they bump into each other?' or "Is one of them in charge?" Then there is the lifetime question, launched as one of the first words we learn to speak... "Why?"
I was intrigued to learn some of those answers and to realize how little I had understood (and still don't) about the patterns of various species in nature, despite noticing and appreciating many of these phenomena throughout my lifetime. It comes as no surprise that there is a survival aspect to this behavior, or that it has been observed over centuries. Knowing that does not detract in the least from the symphonic magic of murmurations, visually and even in the audible effect of their combined wings. I recommend it with my whole heart.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-catching illustrations created with watercolor, pencil, and digital collage capture the swoops and swirls of the book's subject, those starlings, the birds that often seem to be everywhere and to move in huge flocks. Page by page, readers watch as the number of starlings increases until there is very little of the sky visible, and then on subsequent pages, the perspective pulls back so that readers can see just how many of them are flying through the sky, so many that the book includes a gatefold that folds out in order to show this murmuration more effectively. A few pages later, readers are treated to a close view of some birds roosting and then a pair of starlings at rest. The text is just as nimble as the birds themselves seem to be, and the fact that the entire flock, not just one bird, is telling the story lends it emotional impact and intensity. Plus, as it turns out, there are very good reasons for starlings to stick together as they do. From birds that are often overlooked or seen as mere annoyances, the authors and illustrator have crafted a poetic tribute that may, indeed, leave readers feeling mesmerized by the birds' movements.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fully admit that I have certainly spent time watching murmuration videos and therefore love starlings and the swift, athletic movements that create beauty in the sky. What I didn't have was a deeper understanding of their nesting and travel habits and what allows them to create these visions in the sky.

With the story comes the watercolor starlings in flight when it focuses on a handful, then hundreds, then thousands on the page. The cover art does justice to what you find on the inside as a reader that's both a celebration of nature and a closer look at starlings themselves and how their movements are based on the starlings closest to them that allow the shapes.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Furrow and Napoli collaborate on this beautiful nonfiction book about the ways starlings move together introducing the reader to the term murmuration. While it has a informational focus, it is written with poetic prose. Martin's beautiful illustrations give the reader a visual sense of how a few become many including a fold out section to show how the numbers overwhelm the landscape. This informational book also draws inspiration from the starlings to emphasize the importance and advantages of working together. Stunningly beautiful and poetically written, this informational and inspirational text belongs in any classroom or home collection.

[charlene.librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gorgeous art work was rendered in watercolor, pencil, and digital collage. The texture imbued by the watercolor is stunning for this non-fiction exploration of starlings on the move.The color of sunrise takes my breath away, and then the crowd of birds envelopes the reader. Hundreds of them, thousands of them, millions of them flying all together. They become a murmuration of starlings. What an engaging illustration of a wondrous phenomenon that children and families can learn about! Perhaps some have actually seen a murmuration with their own eyes. The double gatefold dramatizes the movement of the dance. Amazing.

[Vincent Desjardins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous look at how Starlings, through mutual cooperation, form their dazzling patterns in the sky. Starlings, by the millions, fly as one flock and outwit predatory hawks as they swirl in an ever-changing living cloud, proving that there is strength in numbers and that by working together they can remain safe. Their hypnotic flight patterns, known as murmurations because of the audible murmur they make, are brought to life in beautiful watercolors by Marc Martin.

[Sue.the.very.busy.reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This month the #Growupspicturebookclub read We Are Starlings Inside The Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration. I read it with my granddaughter who is too young to understand the story. However, she loves water coloring so we did some art. She has a pretty good understanding of her colors and so it was fun to talk about mixing in the colors in the sky. We attempted to even add a tree and birds. I’ll let you decide which picture was mine and which picture was hers.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever seen a flock of birds so compact and in sync they look like they're connected? You've likely witnessed starlings forming a murmuration-- and what a fantastical sight to see! We Are Starlings features these awe-inspiring birds in beautiful illustrations, capturing just one of many things that makes the starling so captivating.

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful ode to starlings! The watercolor illustrations are entrancing and do a really good job of honoring sunset evenings and starling murmuration magic. The text is flowing and poetic, and I enjoyed that it was written in the first person plural, speaking with the tremendous we of so many starlings!

Themes: Birds, Groups/Together, Numbers, Big
Age range: Toddler-Early Elementary

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a murmuration of starlings near our home...they sleep close to a shallow river, and spend the day hanging out on telephone lines. I usually do not think very generously about their swooping and squawking...I will no longer see them as a collective nuisance. I will study their coordination and will admire them.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrations 5/5
Text 4/5

There was so much to love about this book. The illustrations are gorgeous. My toddlers loved when the flock got bigger and bigger. The 4-page spread was a fun surprise. After reading the book together, we watched a YouTube video to learn more. Books that create questions and a desire to learn more are a win.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful description of starlings and their mesmerizing murmurations! Simple text explains the phenomenon from a bird’s-eye perspective and its symbolic importance for wingless bipeds with Daedalian designs and Icarian aspirations. Brilliant illustrations capture the starlings’ aerial magic.

[Lisa Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love watching starlings soaring through the sky in huge groups. Their murmuration is a way of scaring potential predators. This story is from the perspective of the birds and what they go through when they gather into large groups for safety. The foldout in the center of the book is great for children to show just how large these murmurations can get. Plus Marc Martin's work is gorgeous.

[Christie Angleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and I loved the fold-out spread showing a stunning murmuration across four glorious pages. What kept me from giving this five stars was the written text - I was really underwhelmed by the narrative. I also found the back matter to be lacking. Kind of a bummer after the beautiful illustrations.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are fascinated by bird murmurations then check
out this beautifully illustrated picture book about a huge flock of migrating starlings. I love the message of unity, of safety in numbers and of working together.

“We are allies. Our allies each have their own allies. We guide each other.”

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this lovely book, fabulously illustrated my Marc Martin in watercolor. The lyrical and informative text is perfectly complimented by the illustration and there is helpful back matter offering more information about starlings and the phenomenon of murmuration.

[Erin]

A beautiful narrative about how starlings fly, accompanied by gorgeous illustrations. An afterward offers a bit more information, but this is lacking both sources and more comprehensive information about starlings.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it. Absolutely gorgeous watercolor illustrations of the dark flock of starlings against a sunrise or set. The sky and the birds are both stunning. Words are good but the illustrations are amazing!