The Burgess Bird Book for Children (Dover Children's Classics) [Paperback]

Thornton W. Burgess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 23, 2003 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Dover Children's Classics

Renowned naturalist and author of children's books on wildlife successfully blends information and entertainment in his book about birds, among them saucy Jenny Wren, Redwing the Blackbird, Melody the Wood Thrush, Spooky the Screech Owl, Creaker the Purple Grackle, Downy the Woodpecker, and other feathered friends. 32 black-and-white illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thornton Waldo Burgess (1874-1965). Born in Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, he was a conservationist and author of children's stories. Thornton Waldo Burgess loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books and 15,000 stories for daily columns in newspapers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (April 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486428400
• ISBN-13: 978-0486428406
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,658 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Birds > Nonfiction

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sure fire way to get your children interested in birds!!, April 10, 2005

By 

mnhmslmom (MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Burgess Bird Book for Children (Dover Children's Classics) (Paperback)

I have been fascinated with birds since I was young. I have 5 children and wanted to pass on this love. They were only slightly interested until I read this book to them. The intermingling of story and fact is just enough to keep even my young ones interested.

Peter Rabbit is the main character. He goes around to the various habitats discovering the different birds. He wants especially to know where the nest is, and how many young they have. Jenny Wren is also a main character. She is little Miss-Know-it-All. The fact that she is characterized as somewhat "snooty" helped my kids remember that a good identifier to wrens is their upturned tails.

Recently on a bird hike we spotted a cow bird. Our instructor began to explain the cowbirds nesting habits. My children were able to help explain as they had remembered it from The Burgess Bird Book for Children. As an avid birder and a Mom that was a great thrill. A lesson learned and all from a simple story.

I recommed taking your time reading this to your children. A chapter here and there. We've been reading ours for over a year as time allows and as interests peak....especially in fall and spring as more birds migrate. I also recommend giving the kids an identifier book as you read. As soon as the name of the bird is revealed in each chapter the kids race to see who can find the bird first.

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Illustrations are totally missing!, March 15, 2007

By 

C. Rawlins (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burgess Bird Book For Children (Paperback)

Even though on the sample page online Burgess refers to the beautiful and accurate illustrations of birds - they are completely missing in this edition! It was hugely disappointing and reveals a lack of understanding about the purpose of the book in the first place. The book was intended to be an introduction to bird identification and lore for children. It is not a simple story book - not at all! Burgess' entertaining and excellent writing, of course, remains.... I have no argument with Burgess - it is simply that half his material was left out of this publication without any notation in the description of the book that the illustrations had been deleted.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Full of good information, but a bit dated, July 28, 2006

By 

Kathleen M. O'Neill "Nashville songwriter & i... (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Burgess Bird Book for Children (Dover Children's Classics) (Paperback)

I bought this book as a gift for a neighbor child who enjoys watching birds at the feeder between our houses. When it arrived from Amazon, I skimmed through it, and had mixed feelings. The stories are wonderful to read as an adult but seem a bit dated, and, while still an enjoyable read, may be less than engaging for many children. The illustrations are fairly interpretive and rendered in black and white, so the book doesn't function as any kind of quick reference. But as a learning tool for increasing a child's acquaintance with familiar backyard birds, it's very good. Paired with a good quick-reference field guide or chart, this could make for many happy hours of satisfied bird-watching.