A Place for Birds
Grade 2–4—In an attractive picture-book format similar to that ofA Place for Butterflies(Peachtree, 2006), Stewart and Bond describe ways that human behavior interferes with bird survival in specific situations and suggest simple means of solving each problem ("When people create new grassy areas, birds can live and grow"). Realistic double-page acrylic paintings feature a particular species living in the depicted environment. Piping plovers, hermit thrushes, bald eagles, and others—some encountered across the United States, others familiar in much smaller regions—appear here. Brief text running across the top of each scene begins with the problem on the left-hand page and states a counter measure on the right; an inset provides a small portrait of the bird introduced in the larger view and a bit of information about its needs. Two final entries comment on the importance of these creatures to other living things and suggest bird-helping activities for children. Maps of North America and Hawaii, each indicating the habitat range for one of the species, appear on the endpapers. Constructed as a set of conservation lessons with minimal information about the birds or their habitation, this title will most likely find use in sparking classroom discussion.—Margaret Bush, Simmons College, BostonCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.