Bird Watch

by Jane Yolen

This picture book takes youngsters on a poetic journey through seventeen different species of birds, teaches them to appreciate the activity of bird-watching, and helps them build a bond with the natural world. Reprint.

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

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Jane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Jeimy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Astute observations, simple poems, and stunning illustrations.

[Sunshyne Baumgardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the poetry. Crow Call is my favorite! The beautiful illustrations have my heart! I would love to have these images hung up in my house! If you love birds this is a must read.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yolen’s verse is the star of this production, capturing her observations in with beauty and respect, like U”Song/Birds,” “Time Piece,” “Crow Call,” or “Great Blue Heron.l Lewin’s watercolor illustrations are less consistent. To be fair, he hits the high notes with clarity, like the cover, the muted title page, and those for “Winter Choosing,” “Calligraphy,” “The Cardinal,” and “Song/Birds.” It isn’t that the others don’t capture their subject, but they seem rougher, less distilled.

Interesting that the hardback version depicts for the title in Goodreads excludes the actual title and other text—turns out that the textless cover is the inside cover, while the text appears on the dust jacket.

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes:
poems about birds
beautiful watercolors
one of the poems is called Dead Bird and depicts one :(

[Bridget R. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Birds and observations are the subject of this collection. Yolen's verse are paired with beautiful watercolor illustrations.

What I thought: I'm something of a birdwatcher so I enjoyed Yolen's verses about winged creatures. Lewin's illustrations were a perfect match. My favorite poems are "Winter Choosing," "Swan," "The Cardinal," "Winter Finch," and "Song/Birds." The dichotomy Yolen presents in "Swan" was genius. A swan is beautiful above the water, but a working girl underneath. This poem would

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't think of a better pairing of Yolen and Lewin for this book. Yolen brings such clear imagery and beautiful imagery with her words, equally matched by Lewin's watercolor. I appreciated the brief bird descriptions at the end of the book. Overall, a really lovely book for young people and adults.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of poetry on birds accompanied by watercolor illustrations. Appendix includes brief information about each bird.

[Kim Cassidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains seventeen poems. My three favorites are: Swan, The Cardinal & Storm Bringer. The rest weren't bad, they just didn't stand out. Really lovely illustrations.

[Chris Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love birds. I love bird watching. I wanted to love this book, but I found the poems to be uninspired.

[Manan Sheel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely verse, lovelier illustrations...