What Bluebirds Do

by Pamela F. Kirby

Overview

Stunning full-color photographs and simple text introduce readers to the natural beauty and amazing behaviors of a pair of Eastern bluebirds. A sky-blue male and his young mate 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. As the chicks grow, fledge, and learn to find food on their own, award-winning photographer Pamela Kirby captures them in startling close-ups and action shots.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620915936
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	09/01/2013
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	672,100
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	870L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Pamela Kirby has been published in numerous national photography magazines and has received awards and recognition from the National Wildlife Federation Photography Awards, the Pilsner Urquell International Photography Awards, and Birder's World Photo Contest. She lives in Gibsonville, North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

★ "Kirby, photographing from a blind in her own backyard, has done for the Bluebird what Nic Bishop did for The Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Scholastic, 1999). Pair the two to inspire young naturalists and photographers." —School Library Journal, starred review

"Text (beautifully in sync with newly independent readers' capabilities) and photos symbiotically engage young readers with both expected and unusual details. . . . Both enlightening and invigorating. (bibliography, Internet resources, glossary)" —Kirkus Reviews

"The author's admiration of bluebirds is evident and slightly infectious." —Science Books & Films

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 4

Brilliantly sharp, close-up photos portray one season in the life of a pair of Eastern Bluebirds and their babies. The striking cover of a male in midair bringing a worm to his mate is irresistible, and the inside photos are equally engaging. Five luminous blue eggs in the nest are followed by chicks with shockingly yellow and enormous mouths. One photo of a newborn bird in a human hand is both thrilling and disturbing, and readers will be anxious about its safety. The text is simple and clear. Read aloud, it sounds like the voice of a kindly and knowledgeable older friend, and it is easy enough for a strong beginner to read independently. Kirby identifies other blue birds found in North America as well as the three species of Bluebirds found in the U.S. Back matter includes information about attracting and supporting Bluebirds. Kirby, photographing from a blind in her own backyard, has done for the Bluebird what Nic Bishop did for The Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Scholastic, 1999). Pair the two to inspire young naturalists and photographers.-Ellen Heath, Easton Area Public Library, Easton, PA

School Library Journal

This welcome introduction to the habits of eastern bluebirds features crisp photographs of a mated pair's courtship, nesting and rearing of five babies to fledging and beyond. Kirby set up a nesting box in her yard, supplemented the pair's diet with mealworms and crickets and took vividly pristine photos of the action. Text (beautifully in sync with newly independent readers' capabilities) and photos symbiotically engage young readers with both expected and unusual details, as when a parent cleans the nest by carrying away a chick's droppings (neatly contained in a fecal sac). (One small quibble: Credits attribute all photographs except those on pages 3 and 41 to Kirby. However, the page 3 photograph appears again in a larger format on page 12.) Concluding sections include information about the three bluebird species, seasonal behaviors, migration and conservation. Both enlightening and invigorating. (bibliography, Internet resources, glossary) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews