Illus. in full color. "The picture carries the meaning in this dictionary of over a thousand elementary words from 'Aaron' the alligator to a nest full of 'zyxuzpf' birds. The book gets a large 'A' for its commonsense-through-nonsense approach to reading." The New York Times.
It is hard to imagine a raison d'etre for this book, for its pretentions to be a field guide, as bruited on the dust cover, are absurd and are surprising coming from the authors, two highly respected ornithologists. What we have instead are species accounts of 800 birds, nine percent of the world total. These very brief accounts include a few sentences of general commentary; very small sections on range and nesting; a range map, color photo, and drawing showing scale; and one or two other small illustrations.
This guide uses an integrated photographic approach to profile the extraordinary range of birds found in theWestern Palearctic region. With its comprehensive coverage, easy-to-use layout and visual impact, it should appeal to bird enthusiasts of all ages and levels of experience.
The book opens with an introduction that offers a portrait of birds and their habitats. Covering evolution,anatomy and behaviour, it also describes how birds have adapted to different environments - from wetlands and rocky coasts to woodland and urban gardens.
If you are a would-be or a weekend scientist, this book is a good place to begin your study. Though the core of the book is biology, you are will be introduced to anatomy, zoology, ecology, microbiology, chemistry and biochemistry, ornithology (the study of birds), and herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians).
Kindergarten-Grade 4ATwenty-nine crafts inspired by spring and holidays are shown on double-page spreads and illustrated with full-color drawings. The directions are framed by border paintings that relate to the projects. The crafts include pussy willows made from cotton swabs, a rather novel "Huffing and Puffing Mr. Wind Puppet," a giant paper-plate shamrock, a bird's nest made from uncooked spaghetti, Passover candlesticks, an Easter bunny egg holder, and a spring-cleaning apron of paper towels.
