About Parrots: A Guide for Children

by Cathryn Sill, John Sill (Illustrator)

Overview

A beautiful, informative first glance at the world of parrots.

In this addition to the acclaimed About... series, author and educator Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what parrots are, what they do, and how they live.

With beautifully detailed, realistic paintings, noted wildlife illustrator John Sill introduces readers to the diverse population of parrots—from the colorful blue lorikeets of the Polynesian Islands to the rosy-faced lovebirds of southwestern Africa. An afterword provides more details for further exploration.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561457953
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	08/05/2014
Series:	About. . . , #16
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	1,100,740
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD490L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Cathryn Sill, a graduate of Western Carolina University, was an elementary school teacher for thirty years. She is the author of more than twenty-five prize-winning nonfiction picture books about animals and habitats. She has created three nature series especially for pre-K and kindergarten students. She lives in North Carolina.

John Sill holds a BS in wildlife biology from North Carolina State University. Combining his knowledge of wildlife and artistic skill, John has achieved an impressive reputation as a wildlife artist and received many awards. He has illustrated more than twenty-five books in the About... and About Habitats series. He lives in North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2014
Gr 1–3—Eighteen species of parrots are featured in a series of attractive spreads. While young bird enthusiasts will appreciate the simple text of the book, with only a single sentence per page, older readers will enjoy the in-depth information found toward the end of the book. For instance, a spread featuring a kakapo reads simply, "It is important to protect parrots and the places where they live," while the corresponding paragraph at the back of the book goes into more depth, describing the kakapos as flightless parrots that live on the ground, leaving them vulnerable to cats and rats introduced by humans, resulting in their near extinction. The author offers solid material, including food for thought about the pet parrot industry and the risk of disappearing habitats. The watercolor paintings are real showstoppers—the parrots stand out like jewels against muted landscapes. With this volume, the Sills add another respectful examination of wildlife to their noteworthy repertoire.—Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR

School Library Journal

2014-06-18
A vibrant variety of parrots is portrayed in clear, vivid watercolor illustrations with a simple text describing physical characteristics and habits.Each full-color plate shows one or two parrot species in the appropriate habitat in flight, feeding or nesting. The paintings occupy the right of each two-page opening, with a single sentence on the left side pitched for very young readers and listeners. More information appears in the brief but rich backmatter paragraphs, with one paragraph per plate. The text could have been further enriched with maps and size charts: “Some parrots are big. Others are small.” The contrasting sizes of the hyacinth macaws and buff-faced pygmy parrots that appear in the accompanying picture are mentioned in the backmatter—but a young audience might want to know the relative sizes of others. Too, a visual guide to the locations of parrot species might help readers who are wondering how close a parrot habitat might be found. Readers encountering this book on its own will learn that parrots are birds but will need to know that birds have feathers and lay eggs—neither is specifically addressed. While vocalizations are mentioned, readers wanting to know which ones can “talk” with humans will be disappointed.Overall, though, this is a uniquely attractive work with which to round out the bird section, and it is overall an appealing and comprehensive introduction. (Informational picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews

"The author offers solid material, including food for thought about the pet parrot industry and the risk of disappearing habitats. The watercolor paintings are real showstoppers — the parrots stand out like jewels against muted landscapes."—School Library Journal

"Uniquely attractive work with which to round out the bird section. . . an appealing and comprehensive introduction." —Kirkus Reviews

"This book presents basic information along with varied, beautiful watercolor paintings. A colorful addition to the long-running About. . . series." —Booklist

From the Publisher