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| Above: One of the Ospreys observed at Tuncurry |
I wrote a post about birds in books and have just had the joy of observing osprey while on holidays. So here's a refrain of my previous post. I want to encourage
parents and teachers to share some children's literature that feature
birds. I had fun brainstorming this list with daughter, son-in-law and 3 of my grandchildren. Why not celebrate the wonder of birds with some great
literature. Here are some examples that teachers might consider using.
Young Readers (0-7 years)
The
following books are varied in age range from first books like 'Boo to a
Goose' to more demanding picture books like 'How to heal a Broken
Wing'.
1. '
Are You my Mother' by P.D. Eastman
A baby bird is hatched while his mother is away. Fallen from his nest,
he sets out to look for her and asks everyone he meets -- including a
dog, a cow, and a plane -- "Are you my mother?"
2. '
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus' by Mo Willems
When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely
volunteer springs up to take his place - a pigeon! But you've never met
one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way through
the book, children will love being able to answer back and decide his
fate. In his hilarious picture book debut, popular cartoonist Mo
Willems perfectly captures a preschooler's temper tantrum.
'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus' was a Caldecott Honour Book in 2004. Other books in this delightful series include '
Don't let the Pigeon Stay up Late!' and '
The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog'.
3. '
The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch' by Rhonda Armitage and illustrated by David Armitage. Other books in the series include '
The Lighthouse Keeper's Rescue' and '
The Lighthouse Keeper's Picnic'.
My children and grandchildren have all loved these books about Mr Grinling's adventures.
4. '
Waddle, Giggle, Gargle!' by Pamela Allen
Sitting in a tree outside Jonathan's house is a black and white magpie.
'Waddle Giggle Gargle!' the magpie shouts. A delightful story about a
boisterous, swooping, waddling, giggling, gargling bird!
This book is worth a read for the language alone. A great read aloud book.
5. A bunch of books about ducks & geese. Some of my favourites:
a) '
Alexander's Outing' by Pamela Allen
b) '
Fix it Duck' , '
Duck in the Truck' and others in the same
series by Jez Alborough
c) '
I Went walking' by Sue Williams and illustrated by Julie Vivas
d) '
Make Way for Ducklings' by Robert McCloskey (Caldecott Medal winner 1942).
e) '
The Story About Ping' by Marjorie Flack and illustrated by Kurt Wiese
f) '
Boo to a Goose' by Mem Fox and illustrated by David Miller
g) '
Stickybeak' by Hazel Edwards and illustrated by Rosemary Wilson
h) '
Duck and Goose' series by Tad Hills
i) '
The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck' by Beatrix Potter
6. '
Edward the Emu' by Sheena Knowles and illustrated by Rod Clement and of course '
Edwina the Emu' and by the same duo.
Edward the emu was sick of the zoo,
There was nowhere to go, there was nothing to do,
And compared to the seals that lived right next door,
Well being an emu was frankly a bore.
Tired
of his life as an emu, Edward decides to try being something else for a
change. He tries swimming with the seals. He spends a day lounging with
the lions. He even does a stint slithering with the snakes. But
Edward soon discovers that being an emu may be the best thing after all.
And so he returns to his pen, only to find a big surprise awaiting him.
. . .
7. '
Feathers for Phoebe' by Rod Clements
Phoebe doesn′t want to be ordinary. She wants to turn heads and be noticed - she wants to be fabulous!
But when she seeks the help of the outrageous and beautiful Zelda, her transformation leads to some unexpected results.
8. Three great books about penguins
a) '
Tacky the Penguin' by Helen Lester and illustrated by Kim Munsinger
b) '
That's Not my Penguin' by Usborne Children's Books. A great first book for babies.
c) '
The Truth About Penguins' by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Mark Jackson,
9. '
Slinky Malinki, Open the Door' by Lynley Dodd
"Slinky Malinki and Stickybeak Syd were a troublesome pair; do you know
what they did? Alone in the house one mischievous day, they opened a
door and they started to play." Room by room, the terrible twosome wreak
havoc...until they decide to see what's behind that last door. Slinky
Malinki's curiosity finally gets the best of him. Collect all the Slinky
Malinki books!
This is a funny book that children love from a great New Zealand author.
10. '
Owl Babies' by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Patrick Benson
The bay owls came out of their house,
and they sat on the tree and waited.
A big branch for Sarah, a small branch for Percy,
and an old piece of ivy for Bill.
A gorgeous book. Wonderful illustrations and delightful text.
11. '
Puffling' by Margaret Wild
Puffling is a baby—small, white, and very hungry. Every day he waits in
the burrow while his parents, Big Stripy Beak and Long Black Feather
hunt for food. As he grows, Puffling dreams of the day when he will
leave his nest and fly away—but he isn’t ready yet, not until he’s tall
and brave enough to fend for himself. Every day Puffling asks his
parents, but every day they say he must wait until he has grown bigger.
Will he ever be ready to head out into the world on his own?
12. '
How to Heal a Broken Wing' by Bob Graham
'How
to Heal a Broken Wing' is a delightful story about a little boy who
finds a bird with an injured wing. He takes the bird home and with his
parents help, and some rest, time and a dash of hope will the bird will
fly again? The book has all the usual Bob Graham trademarks, simple and
engaging illustrations and an economy of words that are well crafted. It
was the winner of the Australian Children's Book Council award in 2009
for best book in the Early Childhood category.
13. '
Cat and Canary' by Michael Foreman
I just love English author illustrator Michael Foreman. This is a favourite around our place.
Cat’s best friend is the canary in his apartment. Once their owner has
gone out, Cat lets Canary out of his cage and they go up onto the roof
together. Cat wishes he could fly, like all the birds around him, and
when he finds a kite tangled in an aerial, it is too much of a
temptation. But the kite carries him much too high and much too far, and
Canary needs to marshall a crowd of feathered friends to tow the kite
home. But Cat isn’t the least bit deterred: “Tomorrow, we can go to the
land beyond the river, and still be back for tea!”
14. '
Olga the Brolga' by Rod Clement
Olga is in a terrible mood. She desperately wants to dance, but know one
will dance with her. Her parents have other things to do. So, Olga
decides to dance by herself, and something wonderful happens.
This great book about the famous
Australian Brolga bird is ideal for kids aged 3-7 years.
15. '
There's a Bird on Your Head' by Mo Willems
If
your children loved 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus' they will also
love 'There's a Bird on Your Head'. It is one of a series of very funny
tales for beginner readers from
this award-winning writer and illustrator.
16. '
The Last Egret: The Adventures of Charlie Pierce' by Harvey E. Oyer III
This
is the second book in the series 'The Adventures of Charlie Pierce' and
was inspired by the teenaged adventures of his great grand-uncle. It is
an illustrated novel for grade schoolers
The experiences of his uncle were of the late 19
th
century Florida Everglades, when the vast South Florida
wilderness was twice the size of today. In those days it was alive with
snowy egrets green herons, roseate spoonbills and many wading birds.
But the birds
were the target of plume hunters, shooting them simply for their
feathers to use in ladies’ hats. A great read for children aged 6-10
years.
17. '
The Bush Concert' by Helga Visser
There has been a terrible drought and the birds put on a gala concert to
cheer themselves up. There is singing and dancing and magic tricks, but
the final performance is the perfect end to a wonderful bush concert.
Independent readers (8-12)
18. '
Storm Boy' by
Colin Thiele
Storm
Boy likes to wander alone along the fierce deserted coast among the
dunes that face out into the Southern Ocean off the coast of South
Australia near the
Coorong.
A pelican mother is shot and Storm Boy rescues the three chicks, and
brings them back to health. He names them Mr Proud, Mr Ponder and Mr
Percival. He finally lets them go, but Mr Percival returns.
The story follows the struggle to let Mr Percival go and has a memorable
ending. A classic story from one of Australia's great writers.
19. '
The Landing: A Night of Birds' by Katherine Scholes and illustrated by David Wong
One stormy night at her grandfather's place on the windswept coast,
Annie enters a boathouse occupied by injured sea birds and finds herself
able to understand their speech.
This is a wonderful book that isn't known very well by children today. Check it out.
20. '
Mr Popper's Penguins' by Richard Atwater and illustrated by Florence Atwater (Newberry Medal winner 1939).
A classic of American humour, the adventures of a house painter and his
brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations.
"Here is a book to read aloud in groups of all ages. There is not an
extra or misplaced word in the whole story."--
The Horn Book. Newbery Honour Book.
21. '
Sticky Beak' by Morris Gleitzman.
Rowena Batts has enough problems in her life without adopting a crazy
cockatoo. She's just splattered two hundred grown-ups with jelly and
custard, and her dad's getting married to her teacher. But Sticky the
cockatoo turns out to be just the friend she needs . . .
22. '
A Kestrel for a Knave' by Barry Hines
Barry Hines's acclaimed novel continues to reach new generations of
teenagers and adults with its powerful story of survival in a tough,
joyless world. Billy Casper is a troubled teenager growing up in a
Yorkshire mining town. Treated as a failure at school and unhappy at
home, Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel
hawk. Billy identifies with her silent strength and she inspires in him
the trust and love that nothing else can. Ken Loach's well-known film
adaptation, Kes, has achieved cult status and in his new afterword Barry
Hines discusses working on the screen version (he adapted the novel)
and reappraises a book that has become a popular classic.
This is a classic book for older readers.
23. '
Coot Club' by Arthur Ransome
It all started with a coot's nest. Dorothy and Dick meet Tom Dodgeon,
Port and Starboard, and three pirate salvagers all members of the Coot
Club Bird Protection Society. When one of the coot's nests is disturbed
by a shipful of Hullabaloos-rude holiday boaters - trouble begins.
Frantic chases, calamitous boat collisions, and near drownings fill the
pages of this exciting fifth addition to Ransome's classic children's
series.
You don't have to like birds to enjoy this wonderful book from one of England's most famous and awarded children's authors.
24. '
Wheel on the School' by Meindert DeJong
This
1955 Newbery Medal winner is one of my favourite books. Suitable for
childrens aged 10-12. A story about how the children at a small Dutch
school set out to get storks back to their village.
"Six school children bring the storks (harbingers of good luck) back to
their little Dutch village. (A story) written with dramatic power and a
deep insight into the minds and hearts of children".--Booklist. Newbery
Medal; ALA Notable Children's Book.
25. '
The Phoenix and the Carpet' by E. Nesbitt
This
wonderful novel for older readers deals with the Phoenix bird from
Greek mythology that has the ability to come back to life after death.
It does this by rising from the ashes after the burning of the egg from
its predecessor.
The Phoenix and the Carpet is E. Nesbit's second fantasy novel and is
the sequel to Five Children and It. From Robert, Anthea, Jane and
Cyril's new nursery carpet there falls a mysterious egg which is hatched
in the fire to reveal a benevolent, resourceful and ingenious Phoenix
who explains that the carpet is possessed of magic qualities. And so
begins a series of fantastic and bizarre adventures as the carpet
transports the children and the Phoenix to places as diverse as a
chilling French castle, a desert island and even the Phoenix Fire
Insurance Company's offices, which the Phoenix believes to be a shrine
for his followers.
26. '
Silly Birds' by Gregg Dreise (Magabala Books)
This is a charming and humorous morality tale published by an independent Aboriginal Company that aims to restore, preserve and maintain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. In this story, Maliyan, a proud eagle
meets a turkey, Wagun, who is a silly bird. Together these two begin to do silly-bird things. The Elders and Maliyan’s parents
are very disappointed, warning Maliyan that it’s hard to soar like an
eagle when you are surrounded by turkeys. Maliyan sees the error of his
ways and together with the other animals, works to clean up the mess
wrought by too many silly birds. But some birds will always be silly.
27. '
Guardians of Ga'Hoole' by Kathryn Lasky (Scholastic)
These wonderful fantasy books have been written by Kathryn Lasky the Newbery Honour author of over one hundred fiction and nonfiction books. The series has a total of 18 books. It was intended to end in 2008 with the publication of
The War of the Ember until a prequel
The Rise of a Legend
was published in 2013. There have now been a total of sixteen books. The first three books of the series were adapted into the
animated 3D film
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, directed by
Zack Snyder.
28. '
Cockatoos' by Quentin Blake (Red Fox Picture Books)
Ten very cleaver cockatoos take an absent minded Professor through a crazy adventure, through every room of the house. Readers will have fun looking for birds hiding in unlikely and unusual places. They will also count the elusive
cockatoos. As always, Blake's illustrations are brilliant!
29. '
One Cool Friend' by Toni Buzzeo & illustrated by David Small (Penguin)
When well-mannered Elliot reluctantly visits the aquarium with his
distractible father, he politely asks whether he can have a penguin, and
then removes one from the penguin pool and places it in his backpack. The fun of
caring for a penguin in a New England Victorian house is followed by a
surprise revelation by Elliot's father. This is a Caldecott Honour Book
Summing up
I would love to hear from you about some of your favourite 'bird' books. Send me a comment with your ideas.
If
you're interested in some non-fiction books on birds for children check
out this great post from the 'Delightful Children's Books'
blog (
here).
Updated 12th April 2015
