Migration

by Gail Gibbons

Get kids thinking with this primer on sky, land, and sea animal migrations.

Did you know Arctic terns migrate farther than any other animal? Gray whales can swim up to 12,000 miles during their migration journeys and Emperor penguins walk about 125 miles over ice to reach their nesting grounds.

Gail Gibbons explores the many reasons why animals migrate, using direct sentences, maps, infographics, and illustrations. Featuring over 30 different species of mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, and fishes, this nonfiction picture book is perfect for aspiring zookeepers and animal-lovers. Fully vetted for accuracy by James Doherty, Curator Emeritus, The New York Zoological Society.

This title is part of the Explore the World . . . with Gail Gibbons series, which promotes active learning, good citizenship, and student leadership.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

Published August 4, 2020

About the author

From gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.

Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.

Reviews

[Dawn Feicht · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nicely done story about Migration and the illustrations were done nicely too. The book is filled with a lot of details and facts pertaining to various animals not just birds. Although, I enjoyed this book I think it had too much information to confuse a child.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

The original nonfiction master has out down herself with this book. I have read and shared a lot of Gail Gibbons' books over the years. They are reliably clear, straightforward, and quality nonfiction books to use with any unit study or to share with a child with a huge range of interests. MIGRATION is all of those things. The writing is concise and direct. It covers a wide array of animals that migrate around the world. From sea turtles and blue whales to zebras and gazelles to cranes and penguins. I love that this is one of her books that works as a read aloud if you focus on the bigger, brief text on each page, but that you can look closely and learn more as well. I also loved that she included maps of each migration route. This book has so many potential applications for kids who love and are learning about animals. A must read book on animal migration.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fascinating picture book features migration in all its forms!
Gail Gibbons writes and illustrates nonfiction topics that are both beautiful and engaging!
This is a great resource for learning all about different animals that migrate as well as where and why!

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

We've enjoyed many of Gail Gibbons' books over this years. This is one of her newest. It's a decent introduction to migration for young readers, though I personally found the illustrations a bit too busy and, while the migration maps were a nice touch, I would have liked them to be labeled a bit more clearly as it can be a bit confusing when two maps and two types of animals are both on the same page. Gibbons covers some basic terms and definitions; covers bird, mammal, fish and insect migration; and migration routes over land, sea and air. Unfortunately, there is no bibliography or other supplemental material, but the author does thank Jim Doherty, General Curator Emeritus of the New York Zoological Society, for consulting with her on the content.

[Savannah White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect to use when learning about Migration. The story uses direct sentences, maps, infographics, and illustrations to further understanding. When describing animal migration, the author does a fantastic job of providing both the why and the how. All possible migratory paths are covered at the beginning of the story. Every page features illustrations of numerous species, each with a background of their habitat, as well as explanations in a smaller font. The majority have hand-drawn global maps with species-specific migration routes shown. Lastly, all of the animals are clearly tagged and can be easily identified.

[Eleni Grillis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Nonfiction and visually appealing Migration by Gail Gibbons introduces children to animals' habits of migration. This is an excellent book they truly understand how several kinds of animals migrate as detailed by this book in very concise, easy-to-understand terminology. The illustrations are bright and full of detail, thus making the information come alive. This book set off some great discussions at home about the wonders of nature and how animals survive and adapt. It is perfect for young readers who are curious about animals and the natural world, making science fun and accessible. A great addition to any child's bookshelf!

[Kamryn Duritza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, the illustrations and the word choices lead into how great the storyline is. I would use this book to help teach my classroom about migration and about different mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, and fish. I would use it to introduce the topic then go into other mini lessons about what the book introduced. I believe the illustrations in this book contribute the plot of the book because it allows students to see and visualize what they are reading about. I loved reading this book and it would go into the movie that is called Migration as well, which shows the general concepts of this book with a little more fun and imaginative aspects.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Appealing art that has the vibe of a naturalist's notebook. But as the blurb says, this is a primer. No bibliography, further reading, or other supplementary material. And in fact nowhere does it say that (most*) migration patterns are annual, instead confusing the issue by defining the term 'climate' in the introduction, too. Maps showing movements are interesting, but don't show winter v. summer range.

*Included are one-off lifetime patterns like Salmon Spawns. Not sure if that actually qualifies as migration in the same sense as Monarchs and Geese... I wish the book had clarified.

[Caitlyn Strimple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Migration by Gail Gibbons is a great nonfiction informational picture book. It is recommended for ages between five and nine years old. I really enjoyed this children's book because of how much knowledge was packed inside the few pages. I loved the illustrations and how each animal was named, and some were described or facts were told about them. I am not sure I would read the book to five year olds, but definitely nine or ten year olds because they could actually understand it, and retain the information inside of the picture book.

[Isabella DelGarbino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Migration by Gail Gibbons is an informative and easy-to-understand book that explains the fascinating journey of animals that move from one place to another. The book shows how different animals, like birds, butterflies, and whales, migrate to find food, warmth, or to have babies. With bright, colorful illustrations and simple text, it helps children learn about why animals migrate and how they find their way. This book is a great introduction to the topic of migration, making it perfect for young readers who are curious about animals and nature.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail Gibbons is the queen of great informational picture books. This book has text explaining the different types of animals that migrate as well as how they migrate. It also has illustrations of the animals described in the book. The pages might be a little overwhelming with picture content for younger students but I could see mid to upper elementary and even early middle school students being able to gain a lot from this book.

[Madison Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has many beautiful and fascinating illustrations. The story also goes in detail and explains migration in such a great way. It tells about different animal groups and certain species and the ways and reasons for which they migrate. Overall, I thought this was a great introduction to the concept of migration for young children. I really think that students would enjoy reading this in their classroom.

[Julia Szenborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this story is a great book for learners who are just learning about migration. This can perfectly help students picture this concept in their head as well as see examples of all the kinds of animals who migrate and where to. This book also illustrates the importance of migration, which allows readers to better understand this topic. Lastly, the illustrations look so real and I think they do a great job of telling the story.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a picture book for young children on the subject of animal migrations. Every book is full of hand drawn illustrations of animals and migration maps. The emphasis is on the pictures and there is a small amount of text on each page. The pages seem to be too crowded with animal images to be easy to understand. This doesn't look like a good choice for young minds.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gail Gibbons has been a cornerstone of children’s NF with straightforward information on a plethora of topics. Love her illustrations and format: labels, sidebars, maps, vocabulary words, etc. everything you need for a features of NF lesson, except photos. Migration over land, sea, and air engagingly covered here.

[Adena Rugola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is awesome for when learning about migration! It gives examples of all kinds and clearly describes. The illustrations really help the story move along as they show how animals leave, and use maps to show their pathways. The illustrations are also very colorful which could help the reader stay engaged.

[Molly Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. This book was very informational for young children learning about migration. It has a clear as well as a visual description for the children. I absolutely loved how they labeled each set of animals as they migrated throughout the story. I also liked how it showed different areas migration occurs in.

[Kellsie Shadowens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail Gibbons' "Migration" is an interesting and educational look at the amazing events of animal migration. This book exposes young readers to the fascinating world of migrating animals and their amazing adventures through its vibrant graphics and easily understood language. The visuals are stunning and lovely, perfectly capturing the beauty of the natural world.

[Caroline Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was probably my favorite illustrated book!! The colors, the type of drawn/penciled art, the variety of colors was so fun to look at I almost didn't remember to actually read it! it was an awesome way to write about the migration of different animals and where they migrate to. Such a good book!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides some fairly detailed information about animals that migrate, but my four-year-old didn't seem very interested in this book, and neither was I.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caught my attention when I was at the library to pick up some other books. WOW!!! I learned so much!

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book about migration !

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have wanted this book for years and it is a nice addition to my animal book collection. It will be a good resource for my animal unit of study.

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good illustrations. A little dry, but informative.

[curiouskat_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy introduction to animal migration.