Birds Books

We picked this book up at a tag sale when my [...] was about 5 months old. It's her all time favorite book and she wants to read it constantly, over and over again. Between my husband, [...] daughter, and me, we each read it to her 3-5 times a day unless we hide it! It's falling apart, we don't need to look at the text anymore when we read it. Of all the books that she loves like this it's one of our favorites, too. It's a sweet simple story about those first steps children take towards independence, even when mama is close by. The illustrations are beautiful with vivid colors.

A friend from Washington sent me this book for my daughters 1st year birthday, she also sent me the stuffed animal bird. My daughter adores this book and so do I. It is poetic and follows a rythm that makes it fun to read and fun for the child to hear. I have found my 6 year old and 7 year old slowly sliding onto the couch to listen to me read it too.

My son has enjoyed this book since he was one and is now 2 1/2. It is the first book he requests at night. It's message of independence, but security, should be an inspiration to other children's authors. It also has a bit of humour and the shiny, colorful pages are made of a material hard to tear - every aspect very well thought out. It will be hard for the rest of the series to live up to this one.

This is the first book I bought for my son, who is now 5 months old. He and I both love it, and I read it to him almost every day. My 12 year-old daughter pretends to hate it, but I've caught her reading it to him, too. It's just a great little book. I will keep it forever.

This is the first book I bought for my son, who is now 5 months old. He and I both love it, and I read it to him almost every day. It's just a great little book. I will keep it forever.

This is a great augment to any birder's library on the basics of bird identification in the field. David Sibley is a awesome writer and can bring his knowledge down to an understandable level.

Almost every field guide gives a an introduction to the skills that need to be learned if one wants to develop any proficiency in finding and identifying birds in the field.In this book David takes it a whole lot further and has produced a book that covers all the skills needed and would be a great asset to any birder,be they a novice or a long time seasoned birder.It is not a book to replace the normal field guide but instead is a super addition to hone the skills of any birder,regardless of their skills.I won't try to cover what is in this book as other reviewers have done a fair job of it already.
What this book does is to explain why a bird was found where it was,why it was not something else,why is it such and such when it only remotely resembles the picture in the field guide,how could you tell,it's too dark to see the colors,and on and on.
You will also learn the many subtle differences and field marks to look for ,especially if you want to try to describe a bird to someone else,write it up in your journal or even to help if you listen to and hope to understand some more experienced birder describing a bird you may even be looking at.
One way to show what this book is all about might be to compare it to Baseball or Bridge.The standard books tell you all the rules and finer points of the game;this book tells you how to play the game.
Don't let the fact that this book has only 154 pages and not very expensive fool you.It is very unique and would
be welcomed by any birder who doesn't already have it.
I must say,however,that this is not the type of 'bird book' to buy if you just want to buy one book.It is definately the book to buy to go along with any other Field Guide that covers all the birds in an area;such as National Geographic's Birds of North America,Peterson's Field Guides,American Bird Conservancy's field guide to All the Birds of North America,Kaufman's Birds of North America,Sibley's Guides or any of the other excellent guides available.

This is the best instruction I've ever seen, printed or otherwise, on learning how to bird. It includes not only basic visual identification skills, but also the basics of how to bird by sound. Sibley teaches the feather groups and anatomy, plumage variations, molting patterns, and effects of lighting that make some indentifications so difficult. I would recommend it to any aspiring birder.

Let me depart a bit from the other glowing reviews to point out something I think is slightly odd about this book. While the book has many outstanding features, I'm not sure it is the ideal "birding basics" book.

The first half of the book has some terrific information but is often light on content (the equipment section, birding by geography section, finding more info section) as well as some glaring gaps (breeding habits, migration patterns, birding history in North America). It's one thing to tell a beginning birder how the gestalt of a White Crowned Sparrow is different from that of a White Throated Sparrow but does the beginning birder even know when to expect either in their area? The ending on ethics and conservation is so small it almost plays to the criticism that birders are more in it for the sport than for birds themselves.

The second half of the book is a stunning review of the external structure of birds. It is better than many ornithology texts in this regard. Everything you could ever need to know about feather structure, molt, proportional differences and color perception is presented along with an excellent introduction to taxonomy and bird song.

Sibley is obviously playing to his strength here which is fine because what he knows, he really knows if you get my point. The art work is great, of course.

I don't want to come across as knocking this book. I own it, enjoy it and have learned a great deal from it. I recommend that you buy it. I'm just not sure it will serve this generation of up and comming birders as the ideal "basics" book the way Jack Connor's "The Complete Birder" did for many in the prior generation.

What do you think of a basics book that can take the time to touch on a birds nasal bristles or gestalt but omit a basic discussion on migration or breeding? Maybe it's me but it strikes me as a bit odd. I think the second half could have been published as part of a book called "Sibley's Ornithology for Birders" or something to that effect.

I'm a novice birder, to say the least. I like Sibley's guides because they are straight forward and easy to navigate. The drawings are all done by Sibley himself, not a team of various artists... believe me, it matters. Birds are shown from various angles, by sex, and at various stages of life. I think any Sibley guide would make a lovely (different) house warming gift along with, perhaps, a bird feeder.
Happy birding!

I didn't know this was a book for children. I love Torey Hayden's writings ~ I didn't read it but passed it on to my sister-in-law for her 10 year old granddaughter.

I read this book myself and then read it to a class of 5th graders. I loved it and my students loved it as well! Great story to discuss bullying, friendship and courage.

I snuggled up to "The Very Worst Thing" during a rainy afternoon and couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I was immediately sucked in to David's world and felt everything he felt. I wanted to fight for him as he fought against the bullies and I wanted to help him find the words to say what he felt to Granny and Mab. The characters were so realistic and believable, right down to the sludgy Mrs. Mellor and nice looking, but not-so-attentive Mrs. Hallowell.

I plan on sharing this book with my high school age special education students this fall. I imagine that some of them will feel an instant connection to David and I know they will enjoy "The Very Worst Thing" as much as I did.

As a bookseller, I sort through thousands of books per day, and nothing quite measures up to the work of Torey Hayden. Her latest endeavour into the children's book world is no exception. THE VERY WORST THING is all at once interesting, thrilling, heartwarming, and suspenseful, sure to keep kids thinking long after they put the book down. It is certainly a must-have for any classroom or library, and will make a glowing addition to your personal collection as well!

I read this book to 30 third grade students and they enjoyed it very much. They want a copy for our school library and would like to see Torey write a sequel. My students are interested in knowing what happens next to the main characters. They liked this book because it was "funny and exciting". They could relate to the bullying episodes and empathized with the main characters. It was a good read aloud for my eight and nine year old students.

A fun read aloud - some of the words are tricky to string together, so read closely. The message is simple - unity and respect to all the living world.

Here's to the readers! The readers - the word people, the book people, the late into the night, non-asleep people!

If you like this book, look for "The Friendly Book", written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Garth Williams. It's a Golden Book written in 1954 and republished in "A Garth Williams Treasury of Best-Loved Golden Books" in 2001. It must have been the model for "And Here's to You". Both of these stories are wonderful to read aloud and have beautiful illustrations. Both are classics.

This wonderful book is tough to find in our local bookstores, but luckily we've been able to order many through Amazon to give as gifts. AND HERE'S TO YOU is filled with beautiful full-page pictures that our 8-month old daughter loves to look at and touch. The story is about appreciating all that is around us, the birds, the dogs, the bugs and ourselves! I highly recommend this book for your child and as gifts for all kids you know.

We bought this book after hearing Daniel Pinkwater review it on NPR. Our daughter, at 16 mos, is just in the couple of months sitting through slightly longer books, and this one is her current favorite. She gives it to us to read at least 3 times a day. It has a nice rhythm, great pictures, and is warm and happy. We give this one to all new families as the first book we buy them.

I found this book a year ago for my 1 1/2 year old. A year later and it is still one of our favorites. In fact, it has become my favorite baby shower gift. The pictures are amazing and I love the message that all God's creatures are wonderful! It is a perfect book to make any child feel loved and special!

I am an art teacher in an elementary school. Each year I read the series of three Angus books (in the order they were written) to my first graders when we are folding an origami puppy. They love each book. I introduce the Scottish Terrier by showing the encyclopedia entry about dogs. This gets them excited about dogs AND the encyclopedia. By the third book, Angus Lost the children can hardly stand it - they are so excited. They cheer at the end. We look at the dog entry again in the encyclopedia to find the collie that Angus meets on the wide road. (These children don't know Lassie!) We compare the sizes of the dogs, etc. The books offer a view into the past: suspenders, hedges, and the milk man, but the story is current, the illustrations lovely. In Angus and the Cat the children whoop with delight over the illustration of Angus looking out the second story window looking for the cat. All three books are great read-alouds!

I love all the Angus books. Having owned a Scottie dog, I am particularly thrilled with the illustrations - they are so accurate. I used to read these to my daughter when she was a child & am now buying them for all my friends' little kids. I'll keep my set forever. The stories are so endearing.

My 1.5 year old is already a fan of this book. We bought it because she's fascinated with ducks. The realistic illustrations and complex sentences are a nice change of pace from most of her more recently published children's' books. The story has a bit of intrigue, a quick pace, and a humorous ending. It's just perfect.

This is a wonderful book for children or for any age. Subtle and beautifully written, and perfect artwork.

I think this (or Make Way for Ducklings) was my first library book. At any rate, it starated me on a lifelong love of reading--and dogs! The illustrations capture every nuance of a dog's body language--you can practically feel Angus' warm little tummy as he stands up to reach something high. The story is not babyfied, but, as another reviewer indicates, is told with an intelligent vocabulary. Build vocab early!
I treasured my Angus book and each time my mom took me to the library (years and years and years ago), I confounded her by ALWAYS adding the same old Angus book to my pile of borrowings. I hope I will OWN them all one day!

The book contains very good information. We were looking to buy a couple of prints for collectible purposes. Thought the book might have a few more pictures than it had, but we were able to decide what we wanted to purchase and we are very pleased.

Compiled by field ecologist and veteran bird-watcher Bill Steiner, Audubon Art Prints: A Collector's Guide To Every Edition is a first-rate guide to the many distinctive avian prints and paintings of John James Audubon (1785-1851). The informative and scholarly text definitively recounts what these great works of art have sold for, as well as the stories behind the creation of the individual artworks. A superb resource for collectors and an indispensable addition to academic American Art History reference collections, Audubon Art Prints is a superbly organized and very strongly recommended presentation enhanced with twenty-two color illustrations and fifty-five halftones.

One of the most common stories you hear while visiting purveyors of original Audubon prints is how they constantly receive phone calls asking "is my Audubon print an original?" Of course, this is due to the combination of two phenomena - people have the general notion that Audubon prints are valuable, but there are millions of reproductions out there which, although they may be aesthetically pleasing, are not worth much. How to tell if you hit the jackpot (an Antiques Roadshow moment) without making that phone call? Buy this book. Bill Steiner has written the first extensive treatment on Audubon prints from the viewpoint of the collector. There are lots of books about Audubon out there, and some scholarly books on the original prints (most notably by Susanne Low). But, this book lays out all the knowledge gathered by an avid collector, accumulated over many years of poking through print shops and galleries and examining large numbers of Audubon prints, of all kinds. If you don't have the time to learn all these details the old fashioned way, as Bill Steiner did, then this is your best key to the world of collecting Audubon prints. It is written in an almost folksy style, and is very accessible to the reader. Of great importance to anyone thinking of starting to obtain some of those actually genuine original Audubon prints is an evaluation of how to do this via auction, and in particular, via online auction sites. But, this book is more than just for the beginner, and long-time connoisseurs of Audubon will immensely enjoy it, both for validation of what they already knew, as well as to see if the author knows something they don't!

I got my copy a few months ago from Amazon.Com, and essentially read through it cover-to-cover, so to speak. I am an amateur collector of Audubon prints, and an enthusiast of Audubon's life, and the legacy he left behind for all the Americans. I think Bill Steiner's book is an invaluable resource that fills a major void about Audubon's prints - - It provides information on what to look for in collecting prints, which prints have significant value now and likely to appreciate in future, the technical details of production of Havells, Imperials, Biens, and the Octavos, some details on restoration and conservation, tips on internet-based sales, his own assesment of the Quality of various double-elephant folio prints (including modern day real high-quality reproductions such as the Amsterdams and the Princetons),and the names of several Audubon galleries (I didn't know some of them existed until after reading the book). Last but not the least, I enjoyed Bill's sense of humor (I particularly had a good laugh reading the recount of his experience at Christie's Auction House). I only wish his book were available to me a couple of years ago when I first started collecting the prints ! I recommend this book highly.

As an art dealer specializing in original Audubon prints, I hear from many people who hope the Carolina Parrot print they found in the attic will turn out to be worth a fortune. Finally, there is a book that will help them...and me!

This well-illustrated book is the first to read if you have an interest (old or new) in Audubon prints. The book covers the original prints, the valuable full-sized facsimiles, and the not-so-valuable undersized reproductions. Steiner discusses all the major categories (and editions) of original prints including octavo (small) and folio (large), the birds and animals, the copper-plate etchings and the stone lithographs. He also provides a helpful overview of the vast number of facsimile and reproduction editions in circulation. While not complete, it is remarkably comprehensive and will help answer many an Audubon newcomer's questions.

Novice collectors will find everything they need to begin either a serious or casual exploration of Audubon's art--biography, glossary of terms, authentication guidelines (much easier than you may think!), sample prices, information on dealers and guidance on how to buy or sell prints. Seasoned collectors will find previously unpublished information that disproves or amends rules-of thumb that have been gospel for years; they will also find many new sources for prints, books, and educational pursuits.

Steiner has strong opinions and personal interests with regard to Audubon, and they are reflected in the text, but he is diligent about labeling them as such, and putting the more esoteric of his interests where they belong--in one of the book's many appendices. Overall, he has done an excellent job pulling together information from disparate sources, making available to collectors for the first time much "dealer lore"--information previously known only by Audubon specialists. This is a quick-reading book, and one that both dealers and collectors will refer to for years to come.

This is a great read especially for people who LOVE espresso. This book makes me want to live in the mountains of Washington and open an espresso/gift shop. The journal entries are simple, funny, and fun to read. I highly recommend this book and am looking for a similar read since I am 3/4 done with this book.

What an INCREDIBLE read!!!! Gals and guys alike will enjoy this book!! I even gave it to my husband to read after I was finished and he's been laughing with it and sharing some of these fabulous stories with his co-workers (all male by the way). Truly an amazing, wonderful, joyful read -You will not want it to end - I surely didn't!! When you start reading this, plan on spending a great deal of time because you're going to be HOOKED!!

To all (men & women) everywhere. You will relate to this laugh a minute book about the Barista challenges/stalkers, hilarious male/female issues.
Real life, honest to a fault, too funny for words. You don't want to put down and you can't wait to see what antics the next day holds.
Recommend recommend recommend.
This would make a #1 top selling MOVIE! Sandra Bullock is the ONLY one who could do it justice.
Fun fun fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good beach read! Christy is a survivor who has faced life's challenges and the many colorful characters she has encountered with honesty, self-reflection and humor. What a gal!

It's a chick book, but if your not to thin skinned it's funny and a lot of fun for a guy too. Christy tells it the way she sees it and I'm sure the gals love it and if you just look at the humor in it a guy can laugh at what she has to say also.

Occasionally my parrot was biting me so I called a rescue organization who recommended this book to me. It is FANTASTIC! I haven't been bitten by my bird since. I learned to respect when my bird was uncomfortable with something and that handling a bird when they're extremely excited can be asking for trouble. I can't say enough good things about this book. BUY IT!

If you have a parrot you must get this book. It should be standard issue with every pet parrot. Just skimming through the book is a revelation. I'm not finished reading it yet, and it's already made a difference in my relationship with my parrot.

This is a great book that explores what part that we, as owners, play in the behavior of our parrot. I loved the illustrations, too. The parrot "expressions" were so accurate that they made me smile.

This book has some excellent information and suggestions. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to better understand why parrots bite and how to prevent, reduce, and respond to biting. The down side is poor organization, too much repetition and bad visual design. It reads like random articles rather than a well-planned book, and some of the text is on colored patterned background making it almost unreadable. But even with that, the information is WELL worth the purchase price!

If you're looking for an instant formula to solve biting you won't find it here. You will find a lot more. There is plenty of practical advice, but much more thoughtful discussion and anecdote. Sally Blanchard's real gift - and her gift to us - is to teach us how to think about our birds, how to be a careful observer and how to build a mutually trusting relationship with the little creature's we're blessed with (even when we sometimes feel cursed).

One person complained about the organization, but on reflection I think the book's slightly meandering collage-like style is an asset. Instead of letting us flip to the page or paragraph with the quick fix, the book forces us to slow down, listen to, and think about our birds (it starts with a nice little essay on the beak itself) - which is really the first step in building a long-lasting healthy relationship with anyone or anything. I'm sure Sally Blanchard could have been a dynamite therapist, and we and our parrots are lucky she turned her empathic intellect to a relationship in dire need of it - the parrot-human relationship.

Dorling Kindersley have become well known for producing clear, visually oriented reference books for adults and children. They had previously published a score of smaller volumes on the subject of birds, but nothing quite like this: a definitive guide, as they claim. The book is best described as an encyclopaedia of birds. Measuring 30 x 25 cm (12" x 10") and weighing over 4.5 pounds, it has the heft of an encyclopaedia and certainly isn't a field guide. At the same time it is an avian art gallery that exhibits some of the most exciting photographs of the world's most wonderful birds.

The book is split into three parts. The 44 page introduction discusses physiology, flight, behaviour, conservation and more. It is nicely concise, making use of numerous photographs and diagrams to explain what birds are. The second, 28-page section explores habitats in the same way. This leaves the lion's share - some 390 pages - for the systematic accounts, which cover all bird families and a selection of over 1,200 species. There is an introductory section for each taxonomic group - species are grouped by Order in the case of Non-passerines and Family for the Passerines. The majority of species are illustrated by a photograph in addition to range map with a short text on the salient features of the bird.

An audio CD prepared by Cornell's Macauley Library of Natural Sounds is included. It is a delightful audio sample of vocalisations from 60 species from around the world.

This is just the sort of book that would have engrossed me for hours as a child. I remember spending many a happy evening poring over my Mitchell Beazley World Atlas of Birds, which would have been the nearest equivalent back then. Already my kids have spent more time looking through the book than I have! It's not too hard to imagine that this book, left idly on a coffee table, will persuade many a non-birding adult to pick up a pair of binoculars for the first time. In fact, it may just be the ideal book to explain to the fascination of birds to the uninitiated. I spend a lot of time watching birds in the wild and even I found myself gasping at some of the photographs. The double page spreads of a hunting Great Grey Owl, King Penguins under water, a Spotted Sandpiper chick hunkered down amongst leaf litter, Toco Toucan, Bohemian Waxwings and Northern Cardinal were, for me, particular evocative.

This is a book I can heartily recommend to birders of all stripes - especially beginning birders, armchair travellers and anyone who likes to celebrate the beauty and diversity of birds. A sort of book equivalent of David Attenborough's "Life of Birds".

Chris Sharpe, 4 June 2008. ISBN: 075663153X

This is a great book. I've only sat down with it 3 times for a total of about 6 hours but can't wait to cover the whole thing so I can start all over again.

An excellent guide to the world of birds in easy to understand, simple format. Highly recommend for anyone interested in birds; a must-have for your collection if you are a bird-lover. The accompanying CD of bird voices is valuable; but I feel birds of all continents are not equally represented there. But the book is excellent.

This is a truly wonderfull book.The information is outstanding and the pictures are excellent. Any one interested in ornithology should buy this book.

I am a 9-year-old student who likes birds very much. This book my favourite mid-term present. My grandfather bought this book for me. It has colorful photos and very good informations about many species. My favourite birds are great skua, great northern diver, and peacock. It is the book I have got a massive information about these species. I am very surprised of seeing that almost all species worldwide took place in this book. Most of the books I have seen before with a title of "World Birds" contain a less number of birds.
Kuzey Cem KULACOGLU, Ankara, Turkey.

Ignorance is not Bliss when humanity is threatened with life endangering epidemics. Verona Fonte has created an essential handbook to guide us in step-by-step preparations for survival in case if an outbreak of the bird flu. While the subject is serious and packed with important information, the text is clear and lively, leavened by wit and humor. We are encouraged, not only to understand the nature of the disease, how it spreads, how to avoid contamination, how to take care of ourselves and loved ones, but also to create webs of mutual support within our communities. Verona Fonte reminds us of the necessity to be informed and prepared, but also to assist each other in a spirit of intelligent compassion. I heartily recommend it.

Bird Flu, What to Do provides the reader with an excellent overview of the issues we are likely to face during the upcoming influenza pandemic. The book is written in an easy to understand style that makes for pleasant reading despite the difficult subject matter. Dr. Fonte's liberal use of humor helps make her discussion of these unpleasant topics easier to digest. I recommend this book to anyone trying to come to terms with the possibility of a Bird Flu pandemic and who needs more information about this issue to help them decide what they should do. This book has an important role as a good way to introduce the topic to someone new to the issue. While it touches on the difficulties we are likely to encounter during a pandemic, it does so in a reassuring way, avoiding the dramatization of the worst case as found in some other books on the subject.

Grattan Woodson, MD
Author of the Bird Flu Manual

This book should be required reading for everyone living in this country (and other countries as well). If everyone took its message to heart and followed its advice, we would all be a lot safer. No need for color-coded alerts or political hype when Bird Flu - What to Do is only a bookstore or online order form away.

Bird Flu What To Do: Prepare To Survive by Verona Fonte Ph.D. (a psychologist for over twenty years' experience) with contributions from five experienced doctors, is a straightforward instruction manual for readers of all backgrounds about what to do and how to survive in a pandemic, particularly a bird flu pandemic. Chapters address how to prepare, including storing water and making sure water is safe to drink, what food and other goods to get and how to store it, healthy habits to adopt now to strengthen one's immune system, networking for a safer community, caregiving tips, what to do when death occurs, and much more. Bird flu specifically is extremely virulent and easily contagious simply from being in proximity to the sick; Bird Flu What To Do does not pretend to have a magic solution to the grim realities of a pandemic, but rather presents all the emergency advice that medical science and common sense have to offer in no-nonsense terms. Highly recommended.

Fonte has shown us that no matter what the crisis in our lives, if we prepare by being informed, knowing our neighbors and community, and face the challenges ahead with courage, we can weather any crisis the future may bring. I recommend this book highly!

Carolyn North