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This fact-filled, colorful book looks at the amazing world of birds.Stewart provides an intriguing look at birds, the ecosystems that support their survival, and the efforts of some people to save them. Glorious full-color illustrations vividly and accurately depict birds and their surroundings. A Place for Birds opens readers' minds to a wide range of environmental issues and provides instruction on how to help protect birds in their communities.
Gr 2-5--Small changes mark the revision of this attractive 2009 survey of how humans harm and help birds in their various environments. Bits of new material appear in several of the sidebars, which introduce specific birds. Just one, Kirtland's warbler, now contains less specific information. One entry--the common murre and a description of how oil spills adversely affect the species--was removed, replaced by an spread on Anna's hummingbird and material on the millions of birds that die each year after crashing into windows. The closing list of suggested ways children can help birds now carries a related item on marking windows at home or school. Several newer titles have also been added to the bibliography. The book is well organized and laid out and should make for a useful prompt for discussing human effects on the environment: statements about the problems birds encounter are accompanied by handsome, realistic paintings of the creatures in assorted settings with added sidebar discussion and small insets of nesting birds. VERDICT The original edition needn't be replaced, but collections that don't yet own the title should consider purchasing this revised version.--Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Melissa Stewart has written more than 200 science books for children, including Tree Hole Homes: Daytime Dens and Nighttime Nooks; the ALA Notable Book Feathers: Not Just for Flying and the SCBWI Golden Kite Honor title Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs. She co-authored 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing Instruction with Children's Books and edited the anthology Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep: 50 Award-Winning Authors Reveal the Secret of Engaging Writing. Melissa maintains the award-winning blog Celebrate Science and serves on the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators board of advisors.