Hi Kid Lit Friends,
Have you been following the story of Flaco, the escaped Eurasian eagle-owl from the Central Park Zoo? Someone cut the wire surrounding his enclosure earlier this year, and Flaco escaped. After a couple of weeks of trying to capture him, zoo officials saw that he was living and hunting well on his own and have paused rescue efforts. Flaco spends a lot of his time in the northern part of Central Park, and a couple of weeks ago, my family and I saw him!
It did help that lots of people were standing in the North Woods (one of my favorite parts of Central Park), staring up into the trees through binoculars. I asked someone what they were looking at, and I was so happy to hear that it was Flaco because I have been following his story since the beginning. Flaco looked quite content up there in a crook of a tree, taking a nap! Given this exciting spotting, I decided to gather some books about birds for you today.
Also, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has so many great resources (one of their books is linked below), and one cool download is their “Voices of Backyard Birds” audio guide. There’s also an app called Merlin Bird ID which is a free global bird guide with photos,
sounds, maps, and more.
Bookish Goods
Birder Journal by MaDaJaxStudio
I never grew up identifying birds, but now I’m getting more interested in it and have been reading lots of books about birds. This birder journal would be perfect for those of you looking to observe and identify birds! $12.50+
New Releases
Hooray for DNA! by Pauline Thompson, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli
This is such a great and accessible nonfiction book introducing the concepts of DNA and the shared genetic code that make up all living things. This would be a wonderful classroom read aloud!
Danbi’s Favorite Day by Anna Kim
The illustrations in this book are stunning and luminous! When Danbi invites her friends for a fun Children’s Day, she has big plans to set it up just like the way she celebrated it in Korea. But when rain ruins her plans, Danbi has to get creative.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
There are so many children’s books about birds! Here are just some that should be on your radar…
Bird Boy by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani
Starting a new school is always difficult, but thankfully Nico has ways to find happiness during the lonely days when he doesn’t know anyone. He watches insects and sits in the grass and befriends the birds, and soon the other kids began to take interest in him and how he seems at peace with himself and the birds.
Red & Lulu by Matt Tavares
This is one of my favorite books to read around the holidays because it tells the story of two birds that get separated, and the miracle that happens as they seek to find each other again.
The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Eastern by Donald Kroodsma, illustrated by Larry McQueen and Jon Janosik
This is a very useful book for budding birders! Each page talks about a different bird with color illustrations, and you can put in the corresponding number to hear the birdsong. It’s fascinating and a wonderful way to train your ear. There’s also a book for The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Western if you live in that area!
What It’s Like to Be a Bird by David Allen Sibley
This is a fantastic book about all the questions one might have about birds. While it’s geared for adults, it’s a great book for parents and grandparents to share with their kids. There are beautiful illustrations in this book as well!
What are you reading these days?
Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.
One more thing before I sign off. Book Riot is always thinking about new, innovative content, and they have a new newsletter, The Deep Dive. It’s filled with fascinating stories, informed takes, useful advice, and more from experts in the world of books and reading. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com
Happy reading!
Karina
*If this e-mail was forwarded to you, follow this link to subscribe to “The Kids Are All Right” newsletter and other fabulous Book Riot newsletters for your own customized e-mail delivery. Thank you!*