Fly, fly, fly!

Ready to Soar written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld

Riley’s paper airplane is ready for take-off, but criticisms from all the birds threaten to ground the plane, until Riley meets a more supportive friend and rediscovers the joy of soaring.

The Owl Who dared written by Stephanie Stansbie

A little owl is scared of flying, because every time he opens his wings, he tumbles to the ground. Mommy explains to him that it will take a few failures before he succeeds, and soon, the little owl feels brave enough to keep trying. An uplifting celebration of courage and learning how to handle life’s challenges.

Newton and Curie Take flight! Written and illustrated by Daniel Kirk

Curious squirrel Curie observes a baby bird flying and is eager to try too, but when everyone tells her that squirrels cannot fly, she is determined to prove them wrong by conducting her own experiments with the help of her big brother Newton.

Donut: The Unicorn Who Wants to Fly written by Laura Gehl

Donut is a unicorn with a problem: she cannot fly–so she works with all the other creatures in the field and finally accomplishes her goal.

Color the Sky written by David Elliott

A story that celebrates the many colors of birds and the wonder of first flight.

Air Miles written by Bill Salaman

Miles was a difficult dog until he got his own motor car. But now he is growing older, and new challenges are arising. He doesn’t chase balls like he used to. His legs hurt whenever he takes walks. And sometimes he doesn’t hear when Norman calls him. So, when Norman learns that Mr. Huddy’s small airplane is in need of a pilot, Miles takes to the skies.

When We Fly written and illustrated by Jess McGeachin

A father-daughter story celebrating love, loss, and healing, and one bird’s broken wing that may prove impossible to fix.

Mel Fell written and illustrated by Corey Tabor

Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith.

Sometimes, you might fall down, down, down, before you learn to fly up, up, up.

Penguin Flies Home: a flight school story written and illustrated by Lita Judge

Even though his penguin friends would rather swim, Penguin dreams of flying.

The Dog Who Wanted to Fly written by Kathy Stinson

Who says dogs can’t fly? Meet Zora: a dog with a big dream and an even bigger personality. All Zora wants to do is learn how to fly so she can catch that pesky squirrel in her yard. But try as she might to prove to her friend Tully–a skeptical cat–that dogs truly can fly, nothing seems to work. Until Zora finds the right motivation, that is.

Wings written by Cheryl B Klein

Follows a baby bird on its first flight, one that starts cautiously and ends with delight.

Nonfiction

We are starlings: inside the mesmerizing magic of a murmuration

Author: Furrow, Robert

A stunning picture book for young nature lovers about starlings and the fascinating phenomenon of murmurations.

Nonfiction

Wings: birds, bees, biplanes, and other things with wings written by Tracey Turner

Wings takes readers on a fact-packed flight over a fascinating subject. Written by Tracey Turner, it offers a bird’s-eye view of the first airplanes, the fastest jet planes, beetles, birds, winged horses, flying dragons–even winged unicorns. There’s fun, easy-to-read information on wings of all kinds, including plenty of STEM material, presented in a mixture of text and speech bubbles that’s perfect for readers aged 7 plus. With Fatti Burke’s stylish and colorful illustrations, Wings is a wonderful journey of discovery.

How to Make a Flying Bird Decoration: https://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/kidscraftsactivitiesblog/2012/03/how-to-make-a-flying-bird-decoration/

Make a Flying Falcon- Paper Tube Craft and Game: https://crackofdawncrafts.blogspot.com/2011/02/make-flying-falcon-paper-tube-craft-and.html?m=1

This Is the Nest That Robin Built activities: http://www.denisefleming.com/pages/book-activities/this-is-the-nest-that-robin-built/activities.html#gsc.tab=0

Bring on the Birds!

Mel Fell written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor

While Mama is away on an errand, Mel the bird decides to learn how to fly. Off the branch she goes, thus beginning a fall that gets really long—and really suspenseful. The oblong pages are designed to be turned vertically so the tree trunk forms a continuous band on one side as Mel plummets past wide-eyed owls, swarming bees, an overly ambitious snail (“I . . . will . . . catch . . . you . . . !”), and others before plunging into water where she snags a fish. As lines of text twist around to follow her, she finally wings her way up past the tree’s cheering residents to get a loving hug from Mama back at the nest: “I flew! I flew!”

I am a Bird written by Hope Lim

Each morning, a little girl and her dad ride their bike to school. As they twist and turn through the city streets, the little girl sings her bird song for all to hear. But when the girl sees the strange woman in blue carrying a mysterious bag, she goes quiet until the woman is out of sight. One day, when the little girl and her dad are running late, the girl discovers what the woman in blue does with her bag each morning. The surprising revelation transforms the girl’s fear of the stranger into a kinship to be celebrated.

Barnaby written by Andrea Curtis

Barnaby is a blue budgie who thinks he’s really something special. He’s the pride and joy of the lady who owns him–until he’s not. One day, the lady comes home with another bird, a smaller, yellow budgie. And Barnaby won’t have it. He protests, makes a nuisance of himself, and then one day, after being scolded by the lady, Barnaby flies out the window and away. Outside of his gilded cage, Barnaby discovers a wider, wilder world.

A Garden to Save the Birds written by Wendy McClure

After a bird flies into their window, two children and their mother study how to keep birds safe, and soon their whole neighborhood is helping in different ways.

Too Much Stuff! Written and illustrated by Emily Gravett

Magpies Meg and Ash want their nest to be the best, and to have everything their chicks will need when they hatch, so they add everything from cuckoo clocks to mops and socks.

A House for Every Bird written and illustrated by Megan Maynor

A young artist has drawn birds and bird houses in corresponding colors. Now it’s time to match them up. The blue bird goes in the blue house, the orange bird in the orange house, and so on. But wait! The birds don’t agree with the narrator’s choices and, much to her distress, are rebelling by swapping houses. Can the narrator make the birds see sense? Or is it possible that you just can’t tell a bird by its feathers?

Two Many Birds written and illustrated by Cindy Derby

Want to sit on the tree? Get in line! This Bird Monitor has a few rules. But what happens when he goes a little too far?

Numenia and the Hurricane: inspired by a true migration story written and illustrated by Fiona Halliday

Thousands of birds are migrating from the Arctic to the Caribbean when a hurricane rips a young whimbrel, Numenia, from her sisters, forcing her to struggle on alone. Includes note about the true story that inspired the book.

Nonfiction

Bird Show written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale

Celebrates the beauty and diversity of some of the world’s most remarkable birds, introducing amateur ornithologists to familiar and exotic species and their vibrant colors, patterns and other feathered features.

The Atlas of Amazing Birds written and illustrated by Matt Sewell

Profiles birds around the world and categorizes them by location, including the Iberian magpie, the Arctic tern, the California condor, the Indian peafowl, and the Madagascan pygmy-kingfisher.

All the Birds in the World written and illustrated by David Opie

Take a beautifully illustrated journey — with an adorable kiwi bird as your guide — through the vast and colorful world of birds, with its tapestry of textures, sounds, and sights.

Homemade bird feeder: https://teachbesideme.com/homemade-window-bird-feeder/

Life Cycles: Nests and Eggs activities: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qL8SmghxUDoSr9sCC3eCnq-JCo6udnFqmgJcaslSZM0/edit#heading=h.ef8veyu8wtzz

Bird beak experiments: http://adventuresinmommydom.org/bird-beak-experiment/

Make a birds nest: https://kidscraftroom.com/make-a-birds-nest-steam-project/

Bird crafts: https://www.daniellesplace.com/html/birdcrafts.html

Birds in Spring

A Round of Robins by Katie Hesterman

Follow a pair of robin parents from nest-building and egg-laying, to raising their hungry hatchlings, and finally sending off their flying fledglings.

Wings by Cheryl B.Klein

Follows a baby bird on its first flight, one that starts cautiously and ends with delight.

Bird Watch by Christie Matheson

Count backward from ten as you search for hidden birds (and insects and animals) in this seek-and-find picture book.

Not your nest! by Gideon Sterer

Bird builds the perfect nest, the only problem is everyone else wants to sleep in it!

This is the Nest that Robin Built: with a little help from her friends by Denise Fleming

A cumulative rhyme about the animals who help Robin build her nest.

Crow not Crow by Jane Yolen

Tells the story of a child’s first birding expedition on a golden autumn day.

.

Trevor by Jim Averbeck

Trevor is lonely and looking for a friend. He stretches his wings the length of his boring cage and notices the tree outside stretching its branch. And on the end of that branch? Perhaps a new friend. But one that is quiet and shy. Trevor knows just how to make him feel comfortable. This is an elegantly told, truly unique tale of a canary who befriends a lemon and finds that you don’t have to be two of a kind to form a meaningful and lasting friendship.

Egg by Kevin Henkes

Three little birds crack their way out of eggs and fly away, leaving one egg sitting all alone until the three chicks come back and discover a friendly baby alligator has finally hatched.

North, South, East, West by Margaret Wise Brown

Follows the journey of a little bird who flies to the north, south, east, and west to decide which direction she likes best.

Bird Feeder wreath: http:// https://sugarspiceandglitter.com/kid-made-bird-feeder-wreath/

Bird feather painting: https://munchkinsandmoms.com/feather-painting/

Birds, birds, birds!

The theme for this week’s storytime was birds!

Early Bird by Toni Yuly

With simple geometric shapes and vibrant colors, this fun story follows Early Bird as she gets an early start to her day. Directional words such as “across,” “through,” “under,” “up,” “around,” and “over” are used as she finally finds the early worm.

Peck, Peck, Peck by Lucy Cousins

On the first page, a little woodpecker has just learned to peck. He continues to peck everything he comes across! He peck-peck-pecks right through a door and then through a hat, a mat, tennis rackets, and a jacket and continues through the entire house! The preschoolers loved seeing him peck his way through the book, with actual holes in the book.

Here are some great science activities including a beak activity and how to create a bird seed buffet.

http://toddlertalesfun.blogspot.com/2012/11/week-four-woodpeckers-and-beaks.html

Here’s a printable woodpecker craft.

http://madebyjoel.com/2010/10/woodpecker.html

Froodle by Antoinette Portis

The birds in the neighborhood know what sound to make but one day little brown bird decides he wants to try something new. Crow is not amused but some of the other birds are intrigued. The birds begin to make some fun sounds that made the preschoolers laugh! The book reminds children that it’s okay to be different and sing your own tune.

I was able to share some delightful toy birds that sang their song when squeezed. The children enjoyed guessing what each bird was and imitated their song.

This site at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers many bird calls that you can listen to online.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search.aspx

The children also enjoyed the story of a baby owl titled “I’m Not Cute!”

as well as a counting book called Big Fat Hen.

Here’s a free printable of a life cycle of a bird that you can color and cut apart and put in order.

https://education.scholastic.co.uk/resources/27504

Here’s a free printable bird anatomy worksheet for learning the external parts of a bird to help identify birds.

http://layers-of-learning.com/bird-anatomy-worksheet/?platform=hootsuite

Rabbit Habits

Forever Friends by Carin Berger

Rabbit’s Gift by George Shannon

After enjoying these story lines, there is a nice list of rabbit facts at http://www.brighthubeducation.com/preschool-lesson-plans/64076-bunnies-classroom-theme/ and (if you don’t know someone with a real bunny to bring to storytime) some beautiful photos of real rabbit breeds at https://www.arba.net/breeds.htm.

This is For the Birds!

Have You Heard the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray

Bring on the Birds by Susan Stockdale

The first book has a great Q and A section at the end conducted between a bird and the questioner, called “A Word with the Bird.”

The second book places birds into simple (and rhyming) categories, concluding with a who’s who of the birds pictured earlier in the book.

This would be a great opportunity to listen to bird calls online! Children might enjoy trying to imitate the sounds.

Science Questions

Questions, Questions by Marcus Pfister

Science is all about asking questions.  This book has many questions dealing with earth and life science which children might ask.  It’s a great place to start and gather easy non-fiction books to help answer the questions.

Every page has a beautiful illustration.

Birds/Nests

A Nest Full of Eggs by Priscilla Jenkins

Bring in a bird nest for the children to see and touch. Talk about the different materials that make up the nest and what you can do when the birds are building nests in the spring such as leave out bright bits of yarn and string.