PICTURE BOOK FICTION: Bird Count by Susan Edwards Richmond & Little Bro, Big Sis by Rocio Bonilla
ABOUT THE BOOK
A young girl eagerly identifies and counts the birds she observes around her town during the New England Christmas Bird Count.
Young Ava and her mother prepare to participate as "citizen scientists" in the Christmas Bird Count. She is excited when Big Al, the leader of their team, asks her to record the tally this year. Using her most important tools--her eyes and ears--and the birding ID techniques she's learned, Ava eagerly identifies and counts the birds they observe on their assigned route around the town. At the end of the day, they meet up with the other teams in the area for a Christmas Bird Count party, where they combine their totals and share stories about their observations.
This informative story by author Susan Edwards Richmond, coupled with Stephanie Fizer Coleman's charming depictions of birds in their winter habitats, is the perfect book to introduce young readers to bird watching. The text offers simple explanations of the identification methods used by birdwatchers and clear descriptions of bird habitats, and a section in the back provides more information about the birds featured in the book and the Christmas Bird Count.
REVIEW
This picture book follows a young girl, her mother, and their team leader, Big Al, as they count all the birds they can find in their assigned region. Using citizen scientists, the National Audubon Society uses these "Christmas Bird Counts" to help them track bird populations around the United States. The story shows how these counts work with everyone on the team looking and listening for birds while at least one team member keeps the count. The little girl keeps the count while also using her eyes and ears to find birds they haven't counted yet. I appreciated the details the author and illustrator included about not counting birds that only one person has seen or not counting birds that might have been counted already. The illustrations show the different birds mentioned making for a kind of search-and-find aspect to the story. All-in-all a cute story about the value of hands-on science and how each person can make a difference, if he/she makes an effort.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Siblings never get to tell their side of the story (or so it seems).
Complete with a unique flip format and Rocio Bonilla's vivacious illustrations that tell each sibling's story, this clever take on sibling rivalry shares two life lessons: sometimes it takes a sibling sharing their side of the story to realize how much they appreciate their other half; and it definitely helps to have someone on your side when a new baby arrives!
REVIEW
Little Brow, Big Sis gives readers a glimpse into the ups and downs of sibling relationships. Half of the book tells of the older sister's annoyance with her little brother. How she has to wait for him at school, how he damages her toys, and is always making a mess. The illustrations portray the little brother in this part of the book as a monkey. Flip the book over and the little brother tells his version of things with his sister appearing as a rhino. He explains how she always treats him like he's too little to do anything and how she's a bully. Yet both children have to admit that their sibling does have their good points. This is the part of the story where the two children get along, however briefly. But as the two points-of-view meet in the middle, the two siblings are confronted with a new challenge. This amusing story is bound to be appreciated by any child who has siblings who drive them crazy sometimes. I certainly appreciated it. The use of the rhino and monkey make it all the more amusing. But as the children start to admit that their sibling isn't all bad, those images fade away. The illustrations work perfectly to illustrate the children's frustrations and eventual appreciation for each other. A fun book for story time or for teaching point-of-view or relationships.
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