How Do Birds Find Their Way? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) [Paperback]

Roma Gans (Author), Paul Mirocha (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 18, 1996 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2

Many birds travel thousands of miles each year, migrating between summer and winter homes. Just how they find their way back and forth, sometimes returning to the exact same nesting grounds each year, has puzzled ornithologists for years. Roma Gans details the many theories scientists have proposed to explain the mysteries of migration.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Gans limits her discussion to basic facts about birds and their instinctive travel habits. She tells what ornithologists know about migration patterns and presents some of their theories about how birds know when to fly and their different means of navigation. Watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations show several species and their habitats, as well as a few maps and charts. The careful coloring and identification of specific birds add to the value of this attractive introductory text, but its lack of an index limits its use for reports.?Kathy East, Wood County District Public Library, OH
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-8. Pictures and text work together beautifully to introduce facts about bird migration in this new addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Richly colored double-spread artwork shows birds and children in a common habitat before focusing on birds themselves, in nests and on the wing. The crisply delivered accompanying text, larded with specific examples, delves into some of the tantalizing mysteries that surround birds' twice-yearly pilgrimage. Several maps are used to give children a sense of distances traveled, and because so many different varieties of birds are shown, always clearly labeled, children can use the book as a sort of informal spotter's guide. Stephanie Zvirin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Collins (January 18, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006445150X
• ISBN-13: 978-0064451505
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 9.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Birds > Nonfiction

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High Flying Science Discovery, September 2, 2007

By 

Angela J. Zaev "LadybugAZ" (Greater DC Region) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Do Birds Find Their Way? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) (Paperback)

Children are naturally curious about nature. This book, among many of the Let's Read and Find Out Science books, is a wonderful book that helps children learn more about the world around them.

As with most of the books in this series, it opens with a story-line to which kids can easily relate, like watching birds go from tree to tree. Beautiful illustrations which also label the birds will assist children in beginning to identify birds.

Children are introduced to vocabulary such as:

1. migrating
2. Ornithologist

Children will learn about a widely held past theory about why birds seemed to "disappear" in the winter. They will discover a few leading theories as to how birds currently "find their way," including directional navigation (North, East, West, South) and the possible use of the Earth's magnetic field.

There is a wonderful chart at the end of the book which illustrates the various heights at which birds and aircraft fly.

This book is sure to delight, and educate.

3.0 out of 5 stars realistic illustrations, May 29, 2010

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Do Birds Find Their Way? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) (Paperback)

When the answer to the title questions is, "We still don't really know"...

... anyway, this book does a good job explaining what we do know, and how scientists track birds, and what experiments scientists have done to test birds' abilities. The illustrations are realistic, the birds are recognizable, and it's a visually pretty book.

I always love this Let's-Read-And-Find-Out series of books because they offer one or more hands-on science experiments kids can do to follow up on the topic. Of course, when the topic is live birds, there is going to be less of this. Still, something with a magnetic compass might have been appropriate, or a way to become part of the annual backyard bird count in America.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Birds, March 21, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: How Do Birds Find Their Way? (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) (Paperback)

This is a good book because the birds are pretty. I liked the arctic terns in the book.