Beaks! - Hardcover

Collard III, Sneed B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1570913870 ISBN 13: 9781570913877

Publisher: Charlesbridge, 2002

Synopsis

How can a toucan fly with such a large, cumbersome beak? A toucan's beak is actually light as a feather due to its honeycomb construction. And not only is it beautiful, but it's an extremely useful tool in foraging for food. Find out more fascinating facts in this remarkably illustrated study of bird beaks. Learn about several different birds, their habitats, and how their beaks are uniquely styled to help them survive. Outstanding 3-D cut-paper illustrations by Robin Brickman create amazingly realistic tableaus of birds in their natural environments with their beaks in action. Back matter includes a comprehensive quiz, a bibliography, and a list of related Web sites.

About this title

About the Author:

Sneed B. Collard III has been a biologist and a computer scientist. He's put his knowledge and experience to use by writing more than thirty children's books, including MANY BIOMES, ONE EARTH; BEAKS; and TEETH. He began writing after graduating with honors in marine biology from the University of California at Berkeley. After earning his master’s in scientific instrumentation at the University of California at Santa Barbara, he continued to hone his craft while serving as a computer consultant for biologists. He lives in Missoula, Montana.

From Booklist:

K-Gr. 3. This brightly illustrated, large-format volume invites children to consider the varying physical qualities and purposes of different birds' beaks. Each spread spotlights one or two species and how they use their beaks. A brief line of text, printed in large type and conveying an essential idea, is followed by a paragraph of information about the bird shown in the illustration. For instance, the section on macaws begins, "heavy beaks crush," and explains how the macaw's strong beak enables it to eat nuts that other birds cannot crack. This arrangement offers a brief introduction for younger children and a longer one for older ones. Focusing on the narrow topics of beaks allows Collard to be quite specific, but it also offers opportunities to introduce more general principles such as evolution. The term "paper collage" doesn't convey the three-dimensional quality of Brickman's striking pictures. Constructed of painted and cut papers, they give the illusion of depth in the picture plane as well as rounding shapes in the figures of individual birds. Short lists of recommended books and Web sites round out this attractive and informative volume. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Charlesbridge
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1570913870
• ISBN 13: 9781570913877
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32