Feathers: Poems About Birds
Grade 2-5-Bright, boldly designed illustrations coupled with short, rhyming verses-each one offering a tidbit or two of information-will grab the attention of youngsters just learning about poetry. The feathered subjects, native to various parts of the world, seem to have been chosen for their peculiar characteristics or habits (the weaverbird for its odd, communal nest; the nighthawk for its nighttime feeding flights; the bowerbird for its courtship ritual; the penguin for its inability to fly). Spinelli has used a variety of poetic forms, such as quatrain, limerick, and rhymed couplets. Brief notes offering a bit more information about each bird are appended. Nearly all of the watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations are bordered-some edged in stylized design; some framed in a piece of vine or tree branch; some surrounded by ethnic designs from Africa, Australia, Egypt, or the American Southwest. Although many of the birds seem to be smiling, their appearance is quite realistic, and they are shown in their native habitats. A pleasing and playful collection.-Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.