Raptor! A Kid's Guide to Birds of Prey [Paperback]

Christyna M. Laubach (Author), René Laubach (Author), Charles W. G. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Young readers everywhere are fascinated by raptors - by their powerful talons (similar to dinosaurs'), their astonishing eyesight (ten times sharper than ours), and their awesome speed in flight. Raptor! invites children into this wild world with a lively text enhanced by more than 100 full-color images by nature photographer Tom Vexo. Kids are encouraged to explore the mysteries of flight, raptor hunting strategies, and behavior - and to learn how to locate raptors in the wild. Flight silhouettes, range maps, real-life stories of individual birds, and more will satisfy the most voracious raptor enthusiast.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dedicated equestrians will want Cherry Hill's Horse Care for Kids by Cherry Hill. The comprehensive guide helps children and their parents choose the right horse and gives guidelines for safe handling and proper care. Full-color illustrations and photographs appear throughout; a glossary, index and extensive resource listings are also provided. Raptors!: A Kid's Guide to Birds of Prey by Christyna and Ren Laubach and Charles W.G. Smith guides bird watchers with information about their appearance, wingspan, call, habitat and more.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. This large-format book provides a fine overview of North American raptors, birds of prey distinguished by their excellent eyesight, sharp talons, and hooked beaks. After describing their characteristics and behavior, the book introduces individual species within family groups: vultures, hawks, falcons, barn owls, and true owls. A typical page in this section comprises common and scientific names of the bird, a paragraph of information that differentiates it from other birds, two photos, a flight silhouette, a range map, and notations of its size, call, habitat, migration, and favorite foods. There is also advice on bird-watching and efforts to save endangered species. Well-designed projects (from dissecting an owl pellet to making a nestbox) are followed by a glossary and extensive lists of hawk-watching sites, raptor centers, banding demonstration sites, books, videos, organizations, and Web sites related to birds in general and raptors in particular. Illustrated with colored ink-and-wash pictures as well as photos. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (August 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580174450
• ISBN-13: 978-1580174459
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #125,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars for raptor-lovers of all ages, December 11, 2002

By 

Allen (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raptor! A Kid's Guide to Birds of Prey (Paperback)

I've been teaching raptor biology for two decades to all ages of humans, and this is the most thorough, attractively designed, and accurate kids-oriented book on birds of prey I've seen. Kudos to the Laubachs, who obviously did their homework, and produced both an activity guide and a reference book on all the diurnal and nocturnal birds of prey of the US and Canada. If you have a young raptor watcher in your life, Raptor! would be outstanding for ages 7 to 17, however, the photos and excellent natural history would render it enjoyable for all ages.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for raptor lovers, July 31, 2008

By 

E. Krahn (Springfield, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Raptor! A Kid's Guide to Birds of Prey (Paperback)

We got this for my 5 year old who is a raptor lover. The pictures are simply fantastic and even though he can not read the book yet, it makes it so easier for parents to explain since the book is meant to be for children so the language is easy to understand. Saying that the rest of my childen love this book too (a 7, 10 and a 12 year old). I highly recommend it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Survey of Raptors for Ages 8-12, July 16, 2008

By 

Birdman (Minnetonka, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raptor! A Kid's Guide to Birds of Prey (Paperback)

As a volunteer educator for one of the nation's leading Raptor organizations, I think this beautiful book is one of the finest Raptor surveys in print for young readers. This richly illustrated digest helps readers browse topics ranging from anatomy, behavior and habitat -- to binoculars, migration, bird watching and simple ecology. There are also enough profiles of common species to serve as a simple field guide.

The text is so concise and balanced, the book will be as fascinating to adults as it is to independent readers and pre-teens. Whenever I conduct interpretive tours for young people, there is no book I recommend as often or with greater enthusiasm. A must for the family library, and a treasure trove for visual learners.