Birds Books

A good friend of mine lent me a copy of this book to share with my little ballerinas (ages 3-6) during our summer dance camp. I must say, I probably enjoyed reading this story more than my students enjoyed listening to it. (We all loved it!) It is nice to find a book written based upon the ballet "Swan Lake" that children can relate to. Through Mimi, this book teaches with a little practice and persistance you never know what might prevail. Good life lessons that any child can benefit from. A great book!

We got this from the library by accident, and now I am going to buy it. My daughter (4 1/2) and my son (2 1/2) both loved it. Mimi's pluck is great, and her travails are hysterical. A real plus for me was that I was able to use her as an example of the benefits of practicing. (A tough concept for a 4 year old.) When Mimi's perserverence finally gets her onstage, she performs beautifully because she had practiced all of the ballet moves. "Nice shoes dear!" whispers one of the ballerinas.

"Honk!" reminds me of those old Barbara Streisand films, "Funny Girl" and "Funny Lady," where the determined--but klutzy--performer becomes the star of the show. Here Mimi Swan drives her animal friends in the Parisian pond crazy with all her ballet practice. After watching a ballet with the pigeons through the Opera House window where she notices, "They're all pretending to be me," she does everything she can to get in, much to the agitation of the manager.

"Honk!" is a delightful introduction to ballet for youngsters, but be prepared to pronounce the proper French ballet terminology, such as "en pointe" and "demi-plied" (with an accent over the e). And while the title of the ballet is never mentioned, Pamela Duncan Edwards' sense of humor is not wasted on those who recognize it as "Swan Lake!"

I just read this enjoyable title to a class of second-graders in our school library who really enjoyed it.

A good friend of mine lent me a copy of this book to share with my little ballerinas (ages 3-6) during our summer dance camp. I must say, I probably enjoyed reading this story more than my students enjoyed listening to it. (We all loved it!) It is nice to find a book written based upon the ballet "Swan Lake" that children can relate to. Through Mimi, this book teaches with a little practice and persistance you never know what might prevail. Good life lessons that any child can benefit from. A great book!

Just the title alone is enough to have your child want to read this book over and over. But what I love about this book, is that through hard work perseverance and persistance this lovable swan realizes her dream, even when it seemed impossible. Not such bad things to be teaching your child in this age of Pokémon and World Federation Wrestling!

The artwork and heartwarming tale will appeal to the preschool youngsters, but the message of self-acceptance and tolerance towards others is one that older children who can read will be able to grasp even more. This is the type of story that parents and teachers can use as a springboard for discussion of acceptance of differences and it's a reminder of how sophisticated children's literature can be. A story with a moral we all can appreciate!

"How High Can You Fly?" is a book that all my elementary students love. As a substitute teacher, often times I find myself needing to fill the gap between coursework. Students remain attentive and interested until the end. I have actually read the story more than once to the same class. The pictures are bright and entertaining. Thank you Janie and Renee for helping make my school days so much easier

How High Can You Fly? is a charming picture book artfully written by Janie DeVos brought to life with simple and abstract yet vibrant full-color illustrations by Renee Rejent. A young bird meets a variety of creatures on God's precious earth, each of which has its own unique talent or gift, but the bird likes its own gift of flight best of all in this simple yet delightful easy reader book.

This charming story by Janie DeVos is filled with wonderful animal characters, which come to life in her vibrant imagery and playful, rhythmic prose. A little bird discovers that although not all animals can fly, each possesses a unique gift, special in its own right...a timless story about cherishing individuality that will please any child. Bold, whimsical illustrations by Renee Rejent add visual excitement to the story. I look forward to seeing future books by this talented children's author.

Ms. DeVos' book brings a lovely message to young children, allowing them to recognize and appreciate their own special gifts, as well as, those of others. We found the illustrations to be equally as lovely. They were "happy", colorful, and inviting. This book would be a beautiful addition to any child's library.

Brilliant, funny, interesting book! One of my very favorities from childhood, and now my children love it. Highly recommend. Will stimulate your children's imaginations!

I bought this book at a library booksale last Saturday. What a find and a steal!! I bought the book because of its illustrations at first. When I first opened the book I was amazed to see how awesome the verses were too! They are just so funny and intelligent! You don't even need to see the pictures of these crazy birds to appreciate the verse written about them. I especially loved the "Glove Dove" near the end of the book. It reminded me of the Menacing Flying Glove in the movie "Yellow Submarine." I am a big fan of the Beatles and this book was very trippy, just like something they would create. These birds would fit right in with the Blue Meanies in Pepperland! I am hoping to become a teacher in the future and this would be an excellent book to include in a classroom. You could read the book and then have the kids make up their own bird from everyday household objects and write a poem about it!! Its just an all around awesome book, I wish I had seen it when I was little!!

When I was in elementary school, I can't recall which grade exactly, I found this book in the school library, or rather, for some reason, I recall it being in the office. Anyways, I absolutely LOVED it. I remember day after day skipping recess outside and instead going to the office reading this book. I was literally obssessed with it. I remember that it transported me into an alternate reality, a wonderful fantasy like world, the atmosphere was just magical. Something about the types of birds and the illustrations, it was like a whole other reality. This was about 15 years ago, and I just happened to find it at the library and it was a thrill going through it again. Amazingly, each time I turn a page, I remember it now again. I am definitely going to try to obtain a copy, but for some reason I remember it being larger when I was little, so I will probably go back to the school and see if I can buy the copy they have. Of course, maybe it just seemed larger back then, but anyays, I will get mysefl a copy. I would recommend it for anyone!

I like this book because of the Ice Cream Cone Coot and all of the other funny birds. My grandmom has a copy of this book and we read it whenever we come to her house. It was my mom's book when she was a little girl. And now it's my grandmom's book.

That's all.

I read this book when I was seven years old. At the time it was unlike anything I had ever read before. It has a touch of whimsy, magic and humor. The words rhyme and the illustrations are well done, which makes it a fun read. Best of all is the last page which still, for some reason, makes me say, "Awww. That's neat."

Maybe We Are Flamingos is an adorable picture book about two baby flamingos who are troubled by the way they look and wonder if they're in the right flock.

When baby flamingos Flora and Fernando are born, they're surprised to see that, while all the other flamingos are pink, they are white. How could this be? To make matters worse, they later turn grey. Is something wrong with them? Why aren't they pink like the other beautiful flamingos around them?

Full of fear at what the possible answer might be, they decide to ask their mom.

To their delight, they find out that it's only a matter of time before they'll turn pink like the others, and that looking the way they do now is completely natural.

Later, they also learn why flamingos are pink, making this book not only entertaining but educational as well.

In sum, this is a delightful and deftly written picture book that young children ages 3 and up will love to listen to again and again. Thurman chose each word in the story carefully, the prose flows so well. Collier's illustrations are a splash of color on the pages, transporting the reader to a warm, tropical place. Maybe We Are Flamingos would make a beautiful gift to any young child and is a sweet book I'd highly recommend to add to your child's bookshelf.

If you are looking for a charming, delightful story for your youngster, then you'll find it in "Maybe We Are Flamingos".

Flora and Fernando are concerned because they don't look like the rest of their flock. Maybe they really aren't pink flamingos after all. But some thoughtful words from Mum assure them they will turn pink in about a year and stay pink because of the food they eat--which leaves these young birds much relieved and happy enough to draw a few pictures of what they might look like if they ate pineapples and watermelons.

Thurman has created a wonderful and humorous story with "Maybe We Are Flamingos". Kids will love reading how Flora and Fernando go from scared and unsure to happy and silly. Thurman's gift of imagination shines through brilliantly when Flora and Fernando draw pictures of what they might look like if their diets were a bit different.

Kudos go out to Kevin Scott Collier for bringing this charming story to life with his beautiful illustrations. I was already a fan of Collier's work prior to this book, and he doesn't disappoint the reader this time around either.

My daughters, ages 6 and 4, absolutely loved "Maybe We Are Flamingos" and have asked for it to be read over and over again. They've also had great fun making up their own stories to match the illustrations--a true sign that this book has touched their hearts.

"Maybe We Are Flamingos" is a must have for every young reader!

Flora and Fernando are two baby flamingos. They are born a beautiful fluffy white. As they grow up they turn gray. They worry, we aren't pink like everyone else, are we really flamingos? Follow them on their hilarious adventure as they learn how flamingos get their color and wonder what they would look like if things were different.

"Maybe We Are Flamingos" is easy to read and understand. Sue Thurman is a gifted storyteller. She weaves facts about flamingos into a truly enjoyable story. Kevin Collier's artistic skill makes the words come to life. You know exactly how little Flora and Fernando feel and see what great imaginations these two baby flamingos have.

This is one of those stories your children or grandchildren will beg you to read over and over. This will be a treasured addition to any child's library.

"Maybe We Are Flamingos" is a fascinating, brightly colored children's picture book written by Sue Thurman and illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier. This book provides entertainment, humor and education- -three main ingredients in the best children's picture books. Two flamingos, Flora and Fernando, hatch from their eggs, soon to discover that "...their soft white feathers made them look like fuzzy snowballs." Noticing that the other flamingos are pink, they begin to worry that maybe they aren't flamingos. When their feathers turn gray, they worry even more. Finally, they anxiously ask their mother about it, and she explains to them that it "takes flamingos a year or more to turn pink" and that the color change results from the foods they eat. From there, the reader learns factual information about flamingo foods and is treated to some really great giggles as the baby flamingos imagine themselves looking like anything they might decide to eat, including whole pizza pies, cheeseburgers on buns, and tacos. This book is perfect for reading aloud to children.

The Fisherman's Son
The City of the Golden Sun
Return of the Golden Age

I read Maybe We Are Flamingos to my in-home daycare children (ages 4-8) and they loved this story! I heard lots of giggles when Flora and Fernando speculated about what they might look like if they ate only certain foods. The illustrations are adorable! As a follow-up activity I had the children use a coloring page of a flamingo to make it look like it might if it ate only their favorite food. We had a strawberry flamingo, a watermelon flamingo, pepperoni pizza flamingo, among others. We also practiced standing on one leg to see who could hold the pose the longest. I will incorporate this book into my lesson plans for next year when we learn about letter "F". Not only is this story amusing, it's informative and has an important, but subtle message.

This book was in mint condition and I was happy that I was able to get a copy of it. I have ordered many books recently and have been thrilled with the condition of my book orders.

I like to think of Bernd Heinrich as a forest sleuth. Nothing delights him more than prowling, or jogging, through miles and miles of his favorite Maine woods identifying and describing such things as the songs of birds, the cocoons of caterpillars, the smells of beetles and the droppings of moose. In this case, his interests lead him to examine the contents of the stomachs of owls - in particular the stomachs of Great Horned Owls. Owls it seems, eat their prey whole, separate the digestable from the indigestable portions in their stomachs, and when all is said and done regurgitate the inedible stuff as "owl pellets." More than you ever wanted to know about owls? That's what I thought too at first, but it gets better - really.

Not long after discovering a nest of Great Horned Owls on his property, a storm destroys part of the nest and one of the chicks falls to the ground. Heinrich, who can never resist an opportunity to study wild things up close, scoops the little fellow up, christens him Bubo and takes him home to raise. What ensues is a delightful, often revealing account of how an owl and a man struggle to cross the divide between species.

That both are determined is obvious. Heinrich puts up with all sorts of destructive and rude behavior from his childish guest. Bubo chews up, eats and regurgitates washcloths, favorite t-shirts and socks. He holds staring matches with the family cat, terrorizes guests, whom he considers competitors for Heindrich's attention, and rearranges Heindrich's eating and sleeping schedule. In return, Heindrich gets to study everything about the owl - from his eyelids and feather patterns to the mechanical workings of the owl's talons and the meanings of his various hoots and hisses. It is an uneasy if affectionate relationship.

However Heinrich, who works as a university professor, must eventually return to his job and Bubo is sent to a wildlife rehabilitation center. There, all attempts at rehabilitation fail and Bubo is pronounced incorrigable. It is also clear that Bubo is miserable. Heinrich, who feels this is a waste of Bubo's life, eventuallly reclaims the bird, takes him back to Maine and spends another summer helping the bird find his adult wings.

This is a revealing and touching story that goes way beyond the scientific study that Heinrich originally planned. As Heinrich himself acknowledges it became a very personal thing, a relationship between one man and one owl. A wonderful read.

Heinrich has a way of writing that makes a person understand the relations between people and animals. He makes me laugh at some of the interactions. I very much enjoyed this book.

BERND HEINRICH IS ONE OF THE BEST AUTHORS IN THE LIFE SCIENCE FIELD. HIS WONDERFULY DISCRIPTIVE NARATIVES ARE REMINISSENT OF KONRAD LORENZ AND GERALD DURREL . ONE MAN'S OWL WILL EDUCATE YOU AND PULL YOUR HEART STRINGS. BUY THIS BOOK!!

This book details Bernd Heinrich's experiences with an abandoned owl that he chose to raise by hand. Heinrich is a well-known scientist who specializes in animal behavior. Because of his extensive scientific publications and experience with wild animals, he was granted the necessary permits to raise the baby owl that he found in the woods one day. The owl had fallen out of its nest and was buried in a snowbank. When Heinrich first pulled him out, the bird was in very poor condition, but with a bit of care, he was able to nurse him back to health. He was aware however, that in doing so, he would be responsible for meeting all of this infant bird's needs for months or even years to come. In this book, a journal of the owl Bubo's first three years, Heinrich details all that he learned through his association with Bubo.

Heinrich is a patient and gifted observer. He is also a scientist with a long list of questions about owl behavior. He is able to find answers to many of his questions simply by observation, but others require experiments. His experiments always involve authentic behaviors, such as mobbing or catching food, rather than artificially conceived tasks. Some of the experiments can be completed through focused observation, but one described in this book, involving whether mobbing behavior of predators is innate or learned, required the raising of additional birds, a pair of crows.

In this book, Heinrich provides much background material on owls, in addition to all of his observations. This is not just a reference book about owls, however, but also a model record of the vast amount of information that can be learned through the careful observation of just one animal. The book includes an extensive list of references and an index.

Owls by Floyd Scholz is a beautiful book with many wonderful pictures. A wonderful reference book for all those intersted in birds generally and owls specifically.

If there's another book in this universe (or any universe for that matter) that has better photographs, measurements/patterns, and information on such a wide variety of Owls, I dont need it! This one covers everything so well its the only book on owls I will ever need. There is no two books even slightly comparable to this one! If your even thinking about carving an owl GET THIS BOOK!! If you are interested in owls at all, GET THIS BOOK! Its worth its weight in gold. You wont regret it!

Having used Floyd's previous reference 'Birds of Prey' since 1995, I've been eagerly anticipating the arrival of 'Owls'. The quality of the photography and variety of poses, including many extreme close-ups, makes this a first rate reference book for any artist as well as a stunning book for display on your coffee table. The saying that "A picture is worth a thousand words" has never been truer. Anyone who loves these beautiful creatures will be overwhelmed by the elegance of this book. I'll be purchasing a second copy for display, as the one in my studio will be occupied for a while.

I thought I had seen the best of the best when I first saw Scholz's "Birds of Prey". I was wrong! "Owls" stands alone, without peers. "Owls" is a rare combination of text, photography and advice. The pictures are amazing. The text is readable and informative. The advice and patterns alone are worth far more than the price of the book. The unbelievable amount of research that went into this book is evident from the dust cover clear through to the last page. The book is a must for everyone who enjoys owls be it artist, carver, naturalist, bird lover or simply people who enjoy fantastic books. Considering the size and quality of "Owls", it is a bargin!

If you have even the slightest interest in owls or birds in general this is the book for you. The pictures range from full shots of the individual species to minute details in plumage and even comparative pictures of feet and wing shape. This is truly the most well put together collection of owl photographs I've ever encountered. It even has a section in the back for artists who wish to use owls in carvings and paintings. All in all, this is a fantastic book.

Wow, what a great book on owls. A friend recommended I'd get this book because she knows one can never have enough good bird books! The photo's are quite stunning, my favorite's the short-eared owl on page 11, but even my 5 year old likes this bird book, he liked us reading to him about owl's ear tufts and loved the defense posture photo. I never knew there were that many kinds of voles... Thank you!

This is an owl book for everyone from the professional naturalist to the casual owl person. It has the traditional species information supported by very good photos, sidebar essays with interesting and useful information on the less often discussed characteristics of owls that make owls special to so many people, and a perfectly balanced sprinkling of humor that makes this book a delight to read and re-read. Well researched and well written for a broad audience of readers.

I just finished reading the book Owls of the North. It was excellent. I liked the
simple descriptions in easy to understand language. As it said in the
intro, it is good for beginners and experts alike. I also like the
personal experiences in owling. It made it seem more real and not just
simply a guide book. This also is much more than a coffee table book. This
is one a person would want to keep close, to identify owls either on the road
or walking out back for me.

If you are on my Christmas list, avert your eyes; you are getting a copy of this wonderful field guide this year. Warm, witty and thoroughly knowledgeable.

This latest book by David Benson is great. At first glance I was
stunned by the incredible photos--they alone are worth the price
of admission. Mr. Benson has written dozens of short notes
(sidebar essays) which explain much about these fascinating
creatures. Of course he includes details about each
species--range, habitat, behavior, identification, diet--and he
shares owl encounters from his life as a naturalist. This book is
large in content, but small enough to be a companion on adventures
(or in your armchair).

I have never purchased any reference work of such exquisite quality for such a small price. Two thousand years of history of the Holy See within anybody's reach. Highest quality research. No hagiographies but merely a stating of historical facts. This book is truly a great treasure to me.

This book is excellent. I don't know where to start. Often, we study history with respect to different countries, geographical areas, or religions. This book draws them all together. It provides insight into what these men were thinking, and the personal and political influences they had to deal with. Really interesting.

- I'm not, but I did. A compelling collection of hard historical fact, complex theological issues and magnificent trivia, this is not only a great reference book but read cover-to-cover makes a great yet compact history of the Roman Church - and indeed of Rome, Italy, Europe, western civilization etc.

For the serious theologian, be it of the lay or ordained variety, this is a great resource.

Here, chronologically, the renowned historian Kelly provides insightful, concise historical background into the papacy.

One can be assured that his research is spotless, since his early church knowledge and expertise is renown. This is continued here.

Great to have the bibliographical resources for each entry, knowing that Kelly has sorted the possibilities out and provided valuable service in providing primary assets to investigate.

I'll be referring to mine often in historical research. Anyone who delves into this prominent area will want this valuable, economic resource in their library.

Without a doubt, this is the best available general resource source on papal histories, well referenced and organized with a no-nonsense writing style that makes it both an invaluable source of information for scholars and a fun book to just open to a random page and read.

The collection of papal mini-biographies here is the most complete I know of, including even the various anti-popes and the historically questionable Pope Joan. Where the available information is incomplete or contradictory, author, editor and researcher J.N.D. Kelly usually points that out. Other books give more information about specific aspects of the papacy, but none offers such a wide range of information between two compact covers.

My one complaint is a minor one: Mr. Kelly's judgments about what did and did not happen and who should and should not have been pope (regarding everything from Pope Joan and the anti-popes to conspiracy theories surrounding the unexpected death of Pope John Paul I in 1978) tend toward the official Vatican view more often than I'd like. But a book has to take some point of view, and if Mr. Kelly had done the opposite I'd probably be complaining now that he was a bit too antagonistic for my taste.

All in all, this is an irreplaceable resource for any theologian, religious scholar, or intellectually curious reader.

Ohhhh Petunia!!! Believe it or not I found this book for 50 cents at a thrift store in mint condition having never read it before, by far the best deal I ever got with money from the bottom of my purse! Petunia is a silly goose for sure thinking just cause she "finds" a book one day that carrying it under her wing is enough to make her wise, but of course its not and proud, proud Petunia keeps stretching her neck out and butting her big neck into everyones troubles and only making them worse till one day it finally blows up in her face (literally)! But that was the best thing that could have happened to the silly goose cause it humbled her back to where her little neck belonged and teaches her its not enough to just carry a book but to learn to read it and thats the way to be wise in your mind and your heart, and maybe then she can truly help her friends! Absolute Classic!!! A good spoonful of humble pie right at bedtime.

This is a book I remembered vaguely from my own childhood and bought for my son on a whim. He loves it. In fact, he received it on Christmas day and has insisted that it be read at bedtime every night since then. Literally.

So, will your child love it? Probably so. Will you? Probably so, at first. For our part, my husband and I are growing a little weary of it. But in the land of childrens books, that's probably the best you can hope for, right?

The illustrations are fun and entertaining and the language is clear and fun. I'd give this as a gift again, or would certainly recommend it to others.

Petunia is a silly goose who finds a book and believes she'll be wiser if she's seen carrying it around. And the other barnyard animals actually think she *is* wiser because of it. The thing of it is, she's still just a silly goose, who gets her friends into all sorts of scrapes.

"Petunia" is a pleaser but gets a little too philosophical in the last two pages. That's okay-- the first pages and clean 1950s illustrations make up for it. A classic.

Petunia is a goose, she finds a book and suddenly realises that she must be very intelligent. So she carries the book around under her arm. Other animals in the farm come to her for advice which she dispenses, but usually without good results. Then she comes across a box, she thinks she knows what to do - unfotunately her advice is not good for dealing with a box of fireworks.

There is disaster and Petunia has enough sense to realise that she has not gained any knowledge from simply carrying a book around but must read what is within the pages.

An appealing and quirky book. Also try out Petunia's Christmas. Very good child appealing parables.

Petunia was a fourth grade favorite of mine many years ago. Her "wisdom" was so cleverly revealed in the end that I kept the book checked out of the school library all year long.

The text is technical and takes some work to understand but the effort pays off. The pictures are beautiful and flesh out the text. A wonderful aid to getting closer to some amazing creatures.

This guide is more like a textbook in its attention to detail, and I rate it the best raptor guide I have seen and read. The photos are great, showing various poses and the way the birds look as juveniles and as adults of both sexes, and the text covers all the traits, habitat, morphs, etc. to help I.D. and understand the birds.

This book is wonderfull. With dozens of photos for each bird, this REALLY helps an amateur identify a bird. The best in it's class!

This is the most comprehensive guide available. The species discussions include practically everything you need to know (molts, morphs, subspecies, habits, etc), and covers Western variants rarely covered in other works. The range maps by Economidy and Wheeler are the gold standard and will, it is to be hoped, encourage others to produce such extremely precise maps. It is a reference work, too large to fit in a pocket, but is indispensable. Keep this in your vehicle and Clark & Wheeler's Hawks of North America in your pocket, and you've got our western raptors covered.

Brian Wheeler has created what are likely to be THE standard guides to these taxa for the foreseeable future. Excellent photos, tremendous detail--a heroic effort with incredibly helpful results.
But what is wrong at Princeton UP? First they mess up Olsen's _Gulls_ to the point that the entire edition is pulped; and now Wheeler's text in both books is marred by what you would think would be embarrassing editorial errors. Wheeler's prose, for the most part serviceable, was obviously never read by an editor, and there are entire passages that make no sense (fortunately, they only rarely include identification matters). The very first page of the author's introduction has a shameful printing error, an entire half-line left blank.
This is a great book, I own it, I use it, I recommend it every chance I get; but the editorial and production slips make me wonder if Princeton has given up on its birding program--or whether it maybe ought to.