Dudley Carlson's Kids Bird Book Recommendation: Superlative Birds

By Guest Blogger Dudley Carlson

​Are there Guinness Book of World Records collectors in your family? Are there poets, or poetry enthusiasts? Just in time for National Poetry Month, I discovered this highly unusual collection of poems, drawings, and superlatives about the bird world.  Which bird has the longest toes? The most feathers? The most accurate hearing? The most gruesome means of collecting prey? In Superlative Birds, Leslie Bulion as researched them all, creating verses that introduce birds both familiar and strange. 

​Each double-page spread contains a poem and, in smaller ...

type, additional scientific information the older or more interested reader. Meganck's illustrations are colorful and witty, illustrating the important point of each poem. On each spread, a chickadee adds notes about other kinds of birds or animals that share some of the characteristics being described.

At the end, the author adds a glossary and a list of "poetry notes," explaining the wide variety of poetic forms used. These are from all over the world, and from many languages. Not to be outdone, the illustrator shows, on the front end-pages, each of the superlatives described and, on the back ones, identifies the matching bird. There's also a list of resources for young birders.
 
Whether you're a birder, a poet, or a collector of world records, there's something here to tempt you to explore these superlative birds. Enjoy them!

SFBBO member Dudley Carlson, a biologist’s daughter, grew up in a family of birders and was Manager of Youth Services at Princeton (NJ) Public Library for 25 years. She believes that if children enjoy learning about birds and understand how important they are to our environment, then birds, nature and people will have a better chance at a healthy future.