Feathers : not just for flying
(Book)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Contributors
Brannen, Sarah S., Illustrator
Published
Watertown, MA : Charlesbridge, ©2014.
Status
Central - Kids Nonfiction
J 598.147 STEWA
1 available
Aurora Hills - Kids Nonfiction
J 598.147 STEWA
1 available
Westover - Kids Nonfiction
J 598.147 STEWA
1 available

Copies

LocationCall NumberStatus
Central - Kids NonfictionJ 598.147 STEWAAvailable
Aurora Hills - Kids NonfictionJ 598.147 STEWAAvailable
Westover - Kids NonfictionJ 598.147 STEWAAvailable

Description

Young naturalists explore sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many, remarkable uses of feathers. A concise main text highlights how feathers are not just for flying. More curious readers are invited to dig deeper with informative sidebars that underscore how feathers of all shapes and sizes help birds with warming or cooling, protect them from the sun, help them swim, glide or even dig. With a range of common and exotic species readers will be engaged by both the new and the familiar. Beautiful and delicate watercolor illustrations showcase life-size feathers and compare them to everyday objects. With a scrapbook design, Feathers is part science journal, part read-along nonfiction, making it a wonderful resource for nature studies and a delight for the youngest bird lovers.

More Details

Published
Watertown, MA : Charlesbridge, ©2014.
Format
Book
Physical Desc
1 volume (unpaged) : color ; 23 x 29 cm
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"Young naturalists meet sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many uses of feathers."--Amazon.com.

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Author Notes

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These books have the genre "animal books -- birds"; and the subjects "bird behavior" and "birds."
These books have the genre "animal books -- birds"; and the subjects "bird behavior" and "birds."
These books have the genre "animal books -- birds"; and the subjects "bird behavior" and "birds."
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Visually oriented readers will be drawn to the intricate, carefully rendered illustrations of various bird feathers in these picture books. Plume offers a charmingly minimal story about a cat, while Feathers offers intriguing nature facts. -- Rebecca Honeycutt
Budding naturalists will be fascinated by the beautifully precise illustrations of birds in both of these eye-catching books. Feathers' nonfictional scrapbook style has a lighter tone than Aviary Wonders, a fictional catalog from a bleak future where birds are extinct. -- Rebecca Honeycutt

Similar Authors From NoveList

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These authors' works have the subjects "animal behavior," "insects," and "questions and answers."
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Published Reviews

Booklist Review

Feathers are deceptively simple marvels of adaptation, providing not just locomotion for birds, but also protection, warmth, decoration, and comfort. This book celebrates the amazing versatility of these easily recognizable objects, which young readers might find right in their own backyards. Vividly rendered watercolor illustrations of feathers in life-sized scale complement the straightforward text that describes 16 species of birds and the unexpected functions of their feathers. Common birds, such as jays, cardinals, penguins, and swans, share pages with more exotic species, like the rosy-faced lovebird of Namibia and a type of sandgrouse found in the Gobi Desert. Stewart describes how chicks suck on the wet feathers of their parents to quench their thirst and how males of some species can play a type of high-pitched, squeaky love song by shaking their wings to attract female mates. Part science journal, part read-along nonfiction, Feathers succeeds in what such science books for young readers should strive to do: help young minds spot the extraordinary in the seemingly mundane.--Anderson, Erin Copyright 2014 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Feathers are not only a means of avian locomotion-they also have many secondary purposes for birds. "Feathers can warm like a blanket... or cushion like a pillow," writes Stewart. "Feathers can shade out sun like an umbrella... or protect skin like sunscreen." Making skillful use of trompe l'oiel, Brannen's delicate, refined watercolors give the project the feel of a birders' scrapbook, as though the feathers, "photographs," informational notes, and other ephemera that appear have been taped, stapled, and clipped to the pages (one note even has a telling coffee cup stain). A focused and thorough examination that highlights the striking beauty of these often-unnoticed natural objects. Ages 6-9. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-4-Depicting birds from around the United States as well as South America, India, Africa, and Antarctica, Stewart illuminates the various functions of feathers. Presented in a scrapbook format with images and text that appear to be taped, stapled, or pinned to the pages, the book explains that feathers can provide sun protection, assist in carrying nest materials, or attract a mate with sound or color. All of these functions are subtly compared to everyday objects with which young readers will be familiar, such as backhoes and forklifts or umbrellas and sleds. Brannen's captivating, lifelike illustrations bring each bird's feathers to life. An author's note explains Stewart's main sources. With its simple text and captivating art, this title could be featured in a group storytime or in a unit on birds.-Meaghan Darling, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Horn Book Review

Birds and the remarkable variety of their feathers are the focus of this beautifully illustrated volume. In addition to their use for flight, feathers of all shapes and sizes provide birds with warmth and cooling, protection from the sun, and the ability to dig, swim, or glide. On each double-page spread, designed to evoke a bulletin board, the simple main text (in larger font) points out the primary functions of the featured feathers, while text boxes present facts specific to the representative species featured, along with small images of objects used by humans that are analogous to each feather's purpose (e.g., sun block, life jacket, umbrella). Brannen's delicate watercolors include pictures of birds in action using their feathers for various purposes as well as wonderfully detailed close-ups of the feathers themselves. Some of the ideas can be conveyed with a picture of a single feather; others are illustrated by several feathers from a single bird, as in a striking image of the five different feather structures found on the familiar blue jay. danielle j. ford (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Kirkus Book Review

An album of images and a simple text reveal that birds' feathers are far more versatile than one might expect. Comparing feathers to familiar objects, Stewart reveals that birds use them in surprising ways. Her two-level text is headlined with a comparison and includes a short paragraph of explanation. Laid out like a scrapbook, her words share a page or spread with accurate and appealing watercolor images of a bird (identified by species and location), the everyday object in question and the feather. From backyard blue jays and cardinals to exotic manakins and peacocks, the 16 birds used as examples come from all over. The rosy-faced lovebird in Namibia carries nesting material in its tail feathers, like a forklift. For the Alaskan winter, a willow ptarmigan grows feathers on its feet that serve as snowshoes. In Mongolia, a Pallas' sandgrouse uses his spongelike belly feathers to soak up water to bring to his nestlings. On a concluding spread, text and illustrations together provide an example of one possible system of feather classification. Sepia-toned endpapers show some of the feathers described. Other than a note about Birdwatching magazine, the author doesn't indicate her sources, but considerable research by both author and illustrator is evident. The combination of thoughtful approach and careful crafting makes this an excellent resource for early nature study. (Informational picture book. 5-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

Feathers are deceptively simple marvels of adaptation, providing not just locomotion for birds, but also protection, warmth, decoration, and comfort. This book celebrates the amazing versatility of these easily recognizable objects, which young readers might find right in their own backyards. Vividly rendered watercolor illustrations of feathers in life-sized scale complement the straightforward text that describes 16 species of birds and the unexpected functions of their feathers. Common birds, such as jays, cardinals, penguins, and swans, share pages with more exotic species, like the rosy-faced lovebird of Namibia and a type of sandgrouse found in the Gobi Desert. Stewart describes how chicks suck on the wet feathers of their parents to quench their thirst and how males of some species can play a type of high-pitched, squeaky love song by shaking their wings to attract female mates. Part science journal, part read-along nonfiction, Feathers succeeds in what such science books for young readers should strive to do: help young minds spot the extraordinary in the seemingly mundane. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Feathers are not only a means of avian locomotion—they also have many secondary purposes for birds. "Feathers can warm like a blanket... or cushion like a pillow," writes Stewart. "Feathers can shade out sun like an umbrella... or protect skin like sunscreen." Making skillful use of trompe l'oiel, Brannen's delicate, refined watercolors give the project the feel of a birders' scrapbook, as though the feathers, "photographs," informational notes, and other ephemera that appear have been taped, stapled, and clipped to the pages (one note even has a telling coffee cup stain). A focused and thorough examination that highlights the striking beauty of these often-unnoticed natural objects. Ages 6–9. (Feb.)

[Page ]. Copyright 2013 PWxyz LLC

Copyright 2013 PWxyz LLC
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School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 1–4—Depicting birds from around the United States as well as South America, India, Africa, and Antarctica, Stewart illuminates the various functions of feathers. Presented in a scrapbook format with images and text that appear to be taped, stapled, or pinned to the pages, the book explains that feathers can provide sun protection, assist in carrying nest materials, or attract a mate with sound or color. All of these functions are subtly compared to everyday objects with which young readers will be familiar, such as backhoes and forklifts or umbrellas and sleds. Brannen's captivating, lifelike illustrations bring each bird's feathers to life. An author's note explains Stewart's main sources. With its simple text and captivating art, this title could be featured in a group storytime or in a unit on birds.—Meaghan Darling, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ

[Page 122]. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Stewart, M., & Brannen, S. S. (2014). Feathers: not just for flying . Charlesbridge.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Stewart, Melissa and Sarah S., Brannen. 2014. Feathers: Not Just for Flying. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Stewart, Melissa and Sarah S., Brannen. Feathers: Not Just for Flying Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2014.

Harvard Citation (style guide)

Stewart, M. and Brannen, S. S. (2014). Feathers: not just for flying. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Stewart, Melissa., and Sarah S. Brannen. Feathers: Not Just for Flying Charlesbridge, 2014.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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