Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys

by Mike Unwin, Jenni Desmond (Illustrator)

Animals of all shapes and sizes make epic journeys across our planet, through harsh weather, avoiding hungry predators, in their efforts to survive. Travel around the globe with some of the world's most incredible animals and discover their unique migration stories. Follow the emperor penguin through snow, ice and bitter temperatures; watch as the great white shark swims 10,000 km in search of seals; track huge herds of elephants, on their yearly hunt for water and be amazed at the millions of red crabs, migrating across Christmas Island. With stunning colour illustrations, uncover the astonishing migrations of 20 creatures, in this truly inspiring narrative. Written by Mike Unwin, a UK Travel Writer of the Year, and illustrated by Jenni Desmond, winner of the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book, prepare yourself for a journey like no other. Follow the amazing migrations of these 20 creatures: Arctic tern, barn swallow, bar-headed goose, ruby-throated hummingbird, osprey, wandering albatross, whooping crane, emperor penguin, African elephant, blue wildebeest, caribou, straw-coloured fruit bat, humpback whale, green turtle, Southern pilchard, salmon, great white shark, monarch butterfly, globe skimmer dragonfly, Christmas Island red crab

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Nature, Childrens, Travel

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2018

About the author

Mike Unwin is a celebrated wildlife and travel writer known for his books and journalism, and also a photographer, illustrator, and popular speaker.

Reviews

[Mewa · Rating 4 out of 5]

W końcu tytuł od liska, który zadowala mnie i treścią, i estetyką. Spora dawka informacji podana w przystępnej dla młodszego czytelnika formie.

[Opowiemci Beata Skrzypczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Migracje. Niezwykłe podróże zwierząt” to idealny prezent dla uczniów rozpoczynających rok szkolny, doskonałe uzupełnienie biblioteczki dla nauczycieli i rodziców. To cudowne i przepięknie wydane kompendium, które polecam z całego serca!

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured in grandma reads chapter book sessions.

Author Mike Unwin teamed up with Illustrator Jenni Desmond, hitting a home run with their book Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys. We divided this book over two sessions, 10 migrating animals in each, for a total of 20 animals to consider. The art and the accompanying brief text is thoughtful and thorough. Enough to keep our littlest listener present for most of it.

Each of the 20 animals' migration is shown on an informational map at the end of the book, which is very helpful. We were able to see specifically where all these cohabitators of our world start and stop their life changing journeys, and my oldest listeners where peeking around each other in order to see screens.

A very good book for a March afternoon.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful double page-spread illustrations and accessible, interesting information for young readers.

[plachá srnka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinujúce čítanie doplnené prekrásnymi ilustráciami.

[Jordyn Strack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains information about different animals and their migration journeys. I have never been much of a fan of nonfiction books, but this one had beautiful illustrations that pulled me in from the first page. I enjoyed reading through the different pages because I learned new things about animals that I am already fairly familiar with. I also loved the way this book was written, with language that is both educational and engaging. I think this book could be used with grades 3-5, because the language is easy to understand for them and the content would be interesting.

In the classroom, this book could be used for many different assignments. The first one I thought of would be for younger students, possibly third grade. The students could listen to me read this book aloud (and follow along if its possible for them to have copies of the book as well) and then could get together in small groups to answer questions about a particular animal. Each group could have a certain animal that they must "research" using the book and then answer questions on involving their migration patterns. We could then have a large group discussion after every group has finished.
The second activity that students could do would be for older students, such as fourth or fifth grade. Each student could be assigned an animal from the book to research further on. They could create a poster about their animal's migration patterns using information from the book. They could then use their research skills to find further information on the animals, not having to stay specific to the migration patterns. Students could share their posters with one another either in a large class discussion where they must present them or in a poster walk.

This book was a WOW book for me because of how engaging it was for being a nonfiction book. Like I said before, I am not normally interested in nonfiction texts but this one pulled me in both from the illustrations included on each page and the language that was easy to understand. I also found this book particularly interesting because I don't know very much about animals' migration patterns. To me, a WOW book must hook you in from the beginning, and this book did that for me.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every book that I've seen that has been illustrated by Jenni Desmond is simply stunningly beautiful and gives me increased appreciation for nature. This informational book is no exception as she uses watercolor, acrylic, ink, pencil, and pencil crayons to depict 20 different species that are known for their migration patterns. Some are long-distance travelers and some return to the same place year after year while others look for new places to give birth and to feed. Starting with the humpback whale and concluding with the green sea turtle, the text and images provide interesting information about each species and their migratory patterns. It's hard not to gasp in wonder at the thought of a whale that might swim through 15,000 miles of ocean a year--or a veritable sea of Christmas Island red crabs that cover the highways as they head to the coast in search of a place to lay their eggs. The well-written text and illustrations will evoke a sense of wonder in all but the most careless reader. Suitable for browsing but short enough to be read straight through, this over-sized book would be an excellent addition to any science classroom library.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dry as dust is the best way to describe this book. While the drawings were amazing, the descriptions of the individual animals and their migrations were incredibly short, likely for young readers. Not one description created in me any desire to learn more. They were so boring I could only tolerate reading about 3 animals a day. A 47 page book should really not take an adult 7 days to read. I was so looking forward to it and so disappointed by it.

[Ellina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jakie piękne są te ilustracje!

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why we chose this book:
We (I) have been on a non-fiction kick lately, and T and I both enjoy animals. A cover featuring my favorite bird caught my eye, and when I saw that the book was a collection of individual stories, I expected a good fit. T likes non-fiction books that he can flip though to select a topic to learn about. Bloomsbury Children's Books provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review
Migration is an introduction to the migratory habits of twenty different creatures, with each creature featured on a two-page spread. A few paragraphs explain the journey, while a few sentences in a different font give an explanation of what the animal is. Back matter includes a migration map with trivia and information about dangers to migrating animals.

What is so delightful about Migration is the feeling I get that I am witnessing the migration first hand. Narrated from the animals' locations, the journeys are made personal, as with the nervous elephant babies sticking close to their mothers, or when "the air [is] dancing with butterflies." Unwin crafts a story for each animal that also elucidates its migration, and Desmond's full-page illustrations captivate the eye. I'm assuming that one person will be reading while a littler person is looking at the pictures, but also taken as a whole, Migration is enchanting and amazing, from explanation to execution. Some animals were familiar, but others were new. I didn't know that great white sharks migrated in search of food, for example.

Two creatures that particularly delight in this household were part of the fun: hummingbirds and monarch butterflies. We have been talking about hummingbirds a lot lately. I plucked one from the sidewalk during the 1997 El Niño; my mom has been telling T about it, and T has been retelling his dad the same story. Monarch butterflies are also very much on our radar right now. T and I have been following the metamorphosis of the caterpillars and now butterflies that my cousin protected through the summer; now she is releasing them, and it has been exciting to see all the pictures! At first glance, Migration is a book that addresses exotic animals' journeys on a global scale. Reading, however, reveals that the exotic and global are sometimes much more local than one realized.

[Kasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uwielbiam książki przyrodnicze dla dzieci, które zaskakują mnie ciekawostkami na temat świata zwierząt. Takie z pewnością są „Migracje. Niezwykłe podróże zwierząt” Mike’a Unwina i Jenni Desmond - nowość od @czytalisek_wydawnictwo.

Przepięknie ilustrowana książka podejmuje bardzo ciekawy temat - migrowania zwierząt. Gdyby zapytać, nas, dorosłych, jakie zwierzęta migrują, z pewnością podalibyśmy ptaki. Zjawisko to obserwujemy co roku jesienią, gdy ptaki odlatują, i wiosną, gdy wracają. Czy wiedzieliśmy jednak, że migracja dotyczy także innych gatunków zwierząt? Humbaki podróżują nawet 25000 km co roku, aby spędzić lato w cieplejszych australijskich wodach. Motyle wędrują do Meksyku, aby tam schronić się przed zimnem Kanady. Znajdziemy tu opowieści o łososiach, krabach i ważkach oraz wielu gatunkach ptaków. Każda z tych historii jest niesamowita; kolejny raz dowiadujemy się, że przyroda jest zachwycająca i bardzo wytrwała w dążeniu do celu.

Książka skierowana jest do dzieci, więc tekstu jest tutaj w sam raz dla młodych czytelników. Ilustracje utrzymane są w spokojnej kolorystyce, tekst został w nie idealnie wkomponowany. Na końcu znajdziemy mapę, na której przedstawiono wszystkie ścieżki migracyjne zwierząt opisanych w książce. Niestety, w podsumowaniu pojawił się smutny wniosek, że największą przeszkodą dla migracji zwierząt są wytwory człowieka: ogrodzenia, autostrady, przerwane trasy, którymi od tysięcy lat podążały zwierzęta, kierując się instynktem.

Mike Unwin zabiera nas w niezwykłą podróż, z której wrócimy odmienieni. Piękna książka, która miała premierę 10 sierpnia.

Wiek czytelników: 6+
Liczba stron: 48

@czytalisek_wydawnictwo
@mikeunwin.wildtravel
@jennidesmond
@booki_dzieci

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely for the younger reader but provides an example of twenty different animals that migrate from the Humpback whale to the ruby-throated hummingbird going from the Maritimes of Canada to southern Central America over the Gulf. From the bar-headed goose who crosses the Himalayan Mountains to the monarch butterfly which takes four generations to make the round trip from Canada to Mexico and back. The wandering albatross which may not actually set foot on land for months or even years although it may roost on the surface of the ocean. The straw-colored fruit bat that migrates to the Kasanka Forest for wild mangoes and other fruit before returning to their previous territory hundreds of miles away.

The book ends with a world map showing the various routes that those animals described in the book take. It also provides a few interesting tidbits of information while ending with notice of the additional dangers that migratory beasts encounter and it's not just weather and predators. It's human intervention from fencing blocking ancient routes to fishing nets and human hunters. Cutting down of forests and wetlands which supply habitat for these travelers booth during their trips and at one of their destinations. So it also provides some subtle commentary on environmental conservation before all these wonderful varieties of life are gone.

Oh, and the illustrations are lovely. Jenni Desmond provided the charming illustrations.

2021-063

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explore the many animals who migrate each year from all over the world in this nonfiction picture book. The book focuses on each animal’s amazing journey and provides a wide look at migration in general, the various types of animals who migrate, and the specific story of each animal. The animals include birds like the emperor penguin, the Arctic tern, the swallow, and the ruby-throated hummingbird. It also tells the story of mammals like the whales, elephants and caribou. Then there are surprising stories of migrations of crabs, dragonflies, and bats.

The text of the book offers real details of the animal’s lives and their migrations. The book ends with a map of all of the different migration paths shared in the book, nicely covering much of the globe with their travels. The information provided is fascinating and just enough to discover whether you want to learn more about that animal or not.

The illustrations are done in full-page color where the animals take center stage against their various habitats. From the Christmas crabs filling the street with their red color to the beauty of a mother whale and her calf to the woods filled with monarch wings, each of them are unique and just as interesting to explore as the text.

A fascinating and scientific look at migration and the creatures who do it year after year. Appropriate for ages 7-10.

[AllAboutBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give more than 5 star reviews to a book, I would give it to Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys. A book like this is beautiful to read as the seasons begin to change and we often see migratory birds. I leave near the cost in Karachi Pakistan and during the Monsoon, I always see the seagulls flying by going to the creek area to the mangroves. This book explores the many different animals who participate in migrating to another part of the world covering entire continents.

As a frequent global traveller and visitor to Africa during the great migration, reading about other animals’ journeys was simply amazing. I highly recommend this book to parents in Pakistan who don't get to travel as much. This is a great book for kids in Pakistan and I suggest you get this children's book from www.chapters.pk and get it home delivered instead of going to a brick and mortar store where you are not very likely to find it. In fact, I could not even find it in any other store. Maybe I am biased because I get all my books from Chapters online bookstore in Pakistan. Even though my boys are young; this book captivated them and all they can talk about are all these different animals moving to the next place. Such a gorgeous book!

[A.M. Loughrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each spread of this illustrated non-fiction book talks us through the migration of twenty different animal from the hump-back whale to the green turtle. There are actually twenty-one incredible animal journeys included in the book if you count the swallows in the introduction. You can follow the emperor penguin through snow, ice and bitter temperatures; watch as the great white shark swims 10,000 km in search of seals; track huge herds of elephants, on their yearly hunt for water and be amazed at the millions of red crabs, migrating across Christmas Island.

Incredible Animal Journeys is a larger than A4 hardback book, which makes it ideal for sharing and discussing together. There are hundreds of facts and interesting snippets of information on each of the animals and is a credit to international travel writer, Mike Unwin. My first impression was the font was too small but as I read the book I realised this made it easier for the writing to fade into the background and for the reader to concentrate on the beautiful watercolour-painting illustrations whilst imagining each animal’s migration journey.

Incredible Animal Journeys is the kind of book a child will treasure forever.

[Kyra Nay]

Oversize trim and stunning illustrations beckon the reader to join the masses of migrating animals, from the fluttering monarch butterfly to the creeping Christmas Island red crabs to the lumbering caribou. The illustrations really capture the scale of these migrations – I especially enjoyed the spread with a sky full of bats at sunset and the vast herd of wildebeests on the Serengeti plains.

The scope of the artwork pairs well with Unwin’s text, which invites readers to imagine the sights and sounds of these incredible journeys. Emphasizing the sensory experience of emperor penguins trudging across miles of ice and snow in a single line to reach their breeding grounds, underscores the danger and difficulty these animals face along the way.

Well-chosen asides add moments of surprise and delight – arctic terns fly 60,000 miles a year. Over a lifetime, that’s equivalent to 4 (round-trip!) flights to the moon. An illustrated world map shows all 20 migrations featured in the book, along with notes about threats to these animals, from habitat loss to overfishing to climate change.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Join the celebration as millions of animals take their migratory trek all around the globe. The incredible migration stories of 19 animals are highlighted in, Migration Incredible Animal Journeys releasing this summer.
From humpback whales, emperor penguins, great white sharks, to even hummingbirds and dragonflies, all different types of animal species need to migrate to survive. Picturesque illustrations capture each animal as they make their journey through deserts, oceans, skies, or mountains. Whether it is due to environmental changes, species survival, or even breeding, each animal carries its own extraordinary story of their journey.
If you would like to see part of a migration story up close, the Monarch Sanctuary in Pacific Grove is a sight of wonder, as monarchs make their migration. You can check their website for migration path times.

For more of my newspaper column’s reviews, and giveaways please go to my Instagram page @amy_fortheloveofbooks

[Christine Turner]

Contents: Animals on the move -- A whale of a journey: humpback whale -- Ice march: emperor penguins -- Caribou crossing: caribou -- Pole to pole: Arctic tern -- Forest of flutter: monarch butterfly -- Traveling dancers: whooping crane -- Off to Africa: barn swallow -- Flight of the dragons: globe skimmer dragonfly -- Shoal survivors: Southern African pilchard -- Wandering wings: wandering albatross -- River of crabs: Christmas Island red crab -- Humming over oceans: ruby-throated hummingbird -- Over the mountains: bar-headed goose -- Great white wanderings: great white shark -- Jumbo journeys: African elephant -- Salmon sure: Pacific salmon -- Far and wide for fish: osprey -- Hooves on the move: blue wildebeest -- Batty for fruit: straw-colored fruit bat -- Turtle returns: green turtle -- All around the world.

Lovely cover art by illustrator Jenni Desmond.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenni Desmond could illustrate a paper bag and it would be gorgeous. These animals are stunning.

Worth reading for the illustrations alone, there are also surprising facts along the way. I was fascinated that no monarch migrates both ways, but instead it takes four generations to make the round trip. This is true for the globe skimmer dragonfly as well. There are also reminders that we don't know everything yet: while the sardine run is a documented phenomenon, no one yet knows how they return to their starting place.

Covering journeys long and short, taken en masse or in waves, this is packed with little bits of interest. A map is included in the back.

[Laurie Hnatiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful way to introduce migration to young readers. Mike Unwin provides just enough information to understand the migration path of a variety of animals all around the world without overwhelming readers. The art of Jenni Desmond fills the two pages and becomes as much of the focus as the words on the page without overshadowing the information presented. A perfect balance allowing readers to garner knowledge from both the text and the illustrations with a bonus map at the end showing the different journeys. A great addition to libraries and classrooms.

[Rachael Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really excited to get this book and use it in my classroom. It's full of various different species of animals that go through yearly migrations with beautiful art that goes along with it and the text is in small digestible chunks that could be used for various types of analysis very easily in the classroom. It's also just a beautiful book which is always a plus. and there's a map in the back of the book that has dotted lines for each of the migration patterns which is a really awesome bonus.

[jimtown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Migration is a brief look at the migration of various birds, fish, animals and insects. It kind of surprised me because I rarely think about anything other than birds migrating. I learned some interesting facts about some of the creatures featured. I'm not sure when this was written, but I'm happy to say that the sandhill cranes are definitely thriving. I've also seen them with two chicks but I'm wondering if only the strong one survives to travel the summer with its parents until migrating time. Nice art, good length, short enough to read and inspire the imagination.

[Rachel Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This informational picture book has beautiful watercolor spreads for over twenty animals detailing their migration journey. It reads more like an informational anthology than a traditional picture book/story (it is not one concise narrative, rather 20 smaller ones). It is much longer than a traditional picture book, and even has a table of contents! This would be great to supplement curriculum in upper elementary. The back of the book has a migration key map and more facts, but no bibliography.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I misread the promo on this one and got the children's book. It is well illustrated and tells some great stories of birds, bugs, and mammals going to great lengths to find food, take care of their young and procreate. I wish the author had included purple martins among the birds featured, but if the swifts and swallows he tells about are indicative, my martins fledge in about a month and are on their way to Brazil or Central America in about 2 months- amazing!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annoyingly oversize. Illustrations not detailed enough for my taste. Only 20 species are explored, but none in-depth enough. No bibliography or further-reading list. Not bad, though, and I did like that I learned about more species than the ones in the Americas, the ones usually of focus here in the US (of course). The global skimmer dragonfly! The bar-headed goose! Incredible seems like an insufficient word for some of these animals!

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous! It took me 3 days to soak all of this in. What a great informational text with lovely illustrations and so many nuggets of science. Also, I find this book to be spiritual since everything denotes there is a God. Scientists still don't understand how fourth generation monarch butterflies make it back to their ancestral home without having never been there. This is a truly wonderful book!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is going to be ordered for our library. I- ILL these books and if they are good, I put in a order. (I only do them for this list of book our budget is so tight ILL is cheaper than buying all the books on the list!)

I love the art work, and the information. YES!
I love at the end end it has the migration maps! That is sooooo cool!!

[Madeline Knauff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I specially enjoyed this book due to the fact that I really love animals and the reasons why they do things. I like understanding their complex thoughts and this book really fit my personality well. I would recommend this book to anyone who finds animals interesting it can really go with any age group as well.

[Samantha Mairson-Dougherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is made spectacular by the illustrations. The small text features on each page highlight the important facts in clean, efficient language. The map in the back ties the animal stories together. The bulk of the text reads like a nature documentary, making this book the ideal choice for conversion to wonderbook (embedded audio player).

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The large format book presents one of a selection of 20 animals every two pages. Each animal has a short paragraph naming it and describing its migration, several more paragraphs with more description, and a beautiful drawing of it ad its habitat. In the back of the book is a world map with lines for the journeys of each animal.