Robins: Songbirds of Spring

by Mia Posada

Rhyming text explains the behavior and life cycle of robins.

Genres: Picture Books, Birds, Animals, Childrens, Poetry, Nature, Nonfiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 4, 2004

About the author

Mia Posada grew up in Minneapolis, then studied art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduating, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she lived until 2007 when she moved back to Minneapolis with her husband and children. Mia has written and illustrated five books: Dandelions: Stars in the Grass, Ladybugs: Red, Fiery and Bright, Robins: Songbirds of Spring, Guess What is Growing Inside This Egg, and Who Was Here?: Discovering Wild Animal Tracks. She also illustrated Dazzling Dragonflies by Linda Glaser.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture-book author/illustrator Mia Posada, whose works of natural history for younger children include such titles as Who Was Here?: Discovering Wild Animal Tracks and Summer Green to Autumn Gold: Uncovering Leaves' Hidden Colors , turns to the subject of the American robin in this title. In simple, rhyming text, she describes the yearly routine of this bird, from spring mating, to the birth and upbringing of offspring, and the eventual migration south each winter. The book closes with an author's note providing more information about robins, how to watch them, and how to attract them to one's yard...

As Posada notes in her afterword, the robin is one of the most common birds in North America, and its first arrival signals the beginning of spring in many locales. I have enjoyed watching these birds return this year, as I have in the past, and was therefore happy to pick up this engaging picture-book, especially as I have appreciated some of its creator's other books, in the past. I found the text here informative, and thought that, although it stumbled in one or two places, read well. The artwork was lovely, and captured the charm of these avian visitors. If half stars were available, I would give this a 3.5-star rating - I enjoyed it, but just a little bit less than some of Posada's other books - but as they are not, I have rounded up. Recommended to young bird and nature lovers, and to picture-book readers looking for titles about the American robin.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS Charming and well suited for the younger picture book set. It starts with the male robin arriving one early spring morning, finding a female, and building a nest together... raising chicks then flying south again. The rhyming text is pleasant, educational and entertaining: "The father robin teaches the fledglings to fly and how to find food, such as berries, nearby." It's not as full of information as Robins!: How They Grow Up and there is, unfortunately, no Bibliography. But, it's a good choice for a robin book for the littles and the back does contain three sections with further details: More about Robins, Watching Robins, and Attracting Robins to Your Yard (note: they don't like to eat birdseed!)

[Carrie Gelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children love robins and those gorgeous blue eggs. Mia Posada invites us to follow the robins through trees, sky and rhymes. Much learning along the way!

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is all done in Rhyme telling about robins... and now Nathan loves pointing out all the robins.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a most delightful, educational romp that was. I wanna build a birdhouse!

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The information in this book is delivered through rhyming poetry and delightful illustrations. The back matter includes four additional pages of more details about robins.