Wild Flamingos

by Bruce McMillan

In his latest photoessay, Bruce McMillan explores the lives of the Greater Flamingos, the world's largest and most colorful of birds. These magnificent creatures inhabit the desert-like Caribbean island of Bonaire, fifty miles north of Venezuela. The author shows graphically, in words and pictures, how Greater Flamingos have adapted to their seemingly inhospitable environment, how they raise their young, how they come by their brilliant coloring, and convert salt to fresh water for drinking. Here, with vibrant photographs and wondrous detail, is a testament to the beauty and adaptability of this wonderful bird in its wild and natural state. In his individual style, Bruce McMillan weaves together the wonders of nature with fascinating facts, creating a story about one of our rarest and most unusual birds.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 25, 1997

Reviews

[Andrea Sobel]

Title: Wild Flamingos
Author: Bruce McMillan
Illustrator: Bruce McMillan
Genre: Photographic Essay
Theme(s): Greater Flamingos, rare, animals
Opening line/sentence: “A young flamingo walk among the flock”
Brief Book Summary: This photo essay is about the Greater Flamingos who live on the Caribbean Island of Bonaire. The book teaches about Greater Flamingo’s families, how they grow up, what they eat, how they survive, and much more.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: School Library Journal
Gr 3-6McMillan introduces readers to greater flamingos and then proceeds to tell about the birds' lives in the wild, stressing their protected habitats. He describes what and how mature birds eat and drink, and how and why they stand on one leg. Children can learn a great deal from the readable text, in which terms such as "salina" and "briny" are defined in context. The striking full-color photographs capture the birds in a variety of interesting poses from preening to glorious flight and show scenes of the Caribbean island of Bonaire on which they reside. Less detail is given about the young birds, but their coloration and care is touched upon. A fact table about the greater flamingo is appended. This stunning book is for younger readers than Caroline Arnold's Flamingo (Morrow, 1991), but gives enough facts for reports and provides a lovely picture of nature.Margaret C. Howell, West Springfield Elementary School, VA
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, July 1997 (Vol. 93, No. 21) McMillan takes readers to the Caribbean island of Bonaire and introduces flamingos living in the wild. The text discusses the birds' bodies, habits, and habitat, but the book's most outstanding feature is its illustrations. A typical double-page spread includes three exceptionally fine and beautifully laid-out photographs of flamingos: flamingos standing, flamingos feeding, flamingos preening, flamingos flying, flamingos striding through the briny lake. The pages of the handsome, large-format book are filled with striking images of the photogenic bird knit together with information that can only increase readers' respect and concern for the species. Category: Middle Readers.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both of these reviews absolutely love the photographic essay by McMillan. His pictures of the Greater Flamingo’s are absolutely stunning and draw the reader in. I also liked that the School Library Journal review pointed out that the school library journal review pointed out that there in text definitions to tougher words for students. This is a great book for younger children to learn about the Greater Flamingo.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The books photographs of the Greater Flamingo are absolutely beautiful. There is more of an emphasis on the pictures in this book than the words and that helps create the beauty of the animals. Students are able to learn new facts, while enjoying photographs. There is also a globe in the very beginning with an arrow pointing to Bonaire. This gives the reader a context of where the Greater Flamingos live.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this book in my classroom to teach about Greater Flamingos. I would have my class break up into groups and read photo essays on different animals. The one group with the Greater Flamingos would present on the Greater Flamingo and new facts about the animals that they learned from reading this photo essay. At the end the students would share their favorite photograph from the book with the class.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of exquisite photographs and information about the Greater Flamingo on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, which is almost entirely a flamingo reserve. Flamingos are such ludicrous-looking birds; you laugh just to see them.

I learned several interesting things. For example, the greater flamingos of Bonaire have no fresh water to drink, but their body can desalinate salt water so it does not harm them. This book is directed at children, but persons of any age wanting to learn about flamingos or see bird photos will like it.