Details
Synopsis
A young wood thrush makes his first migration from his nesting ground in a forest preserve in Maryland to his winter home in Costa Rica and back again.
| Size | | Height: | 11.3 in | | Width: | 9.5 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 15.2 oz |
Publisher's Notes
First Line: "Four lovely turquoise eggs lay in a nest in a small dogwood tree in a forest in Maryland."
Industry Reviews
K-Gr 3 Cherry takes readers through the first year of a wood thrush's life, from its hatching in a forest in Maryland to its migration across the Gulf of Mexico to the Costa Rican rain forest and back again. Two children, who observe the bird as a young chick and juvenile, name him Flute "for they knew that when he grew up he would sing as beautifully as his father and that his song would echo through the forest." The same children wait for Flute's return the following spring and watch as he and his mate, whom they name Feather, build a nest and raise their young. In the course of Flute's travels, he encounters a hawk, insects tainted with pesticide, a prowling cat, and a shrinking habitat. The eggs and nestlings are even more at risk. Naming the birds effectively keeps the focus on their individual story, and the author is careful not to anthropomorphize. At the same time, perhaps because of this, the narrative comes off as a laundry list of the perils facing migratory songbirds and keeps readers at a distance. The lustrous watercolors, particularly the paintings of Flute alone, are exceptionally well rendered. Some of the larger scenes, however, are so chock-full of flora and fauna that they seem unnatural; with the exception of the shape of the leaves, the northern forest seems to be as dense and rich with wildlife as the rain forest. An author's note and resplendent map endpapers round out this earnest and informative presentation. Luann Toth, School Library Journal
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