United Tweets of America: 50 State BirdsTheir Stories, Their Glories (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator)
Key Phrases: state tree, Rhode Island, Western Meadowlark

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 2–5—Gather all of your chuckle-bellied trivia snatchers for a rollicking romp through the states. Talbott has created wisecrack-filled cartoons featuring birds in competition for the "United Tweets of America Pageant." Each avian contestant has one page to flaunt its stuff and introduce its state—unless you count the cardinal from Indiana that pecks through the back of his page to ruffle feathers in Illinois. The cartoons range from a scenic and graceful tree full of purple finches in a snowy village in Vermont to a manic pelican with a mouthful of loot in Louisiana. There's plenty to make children laugh: Annoyed by Delaware's Blue Hen Chicken on the facing page, Connecticut's American Robin sings, "Yankee Doodle went to town,/followed by a chicken,/if that bird won't shut his beak,/he's gonna get a lickin'." There's also plenty to amuse adults that may fly over children's heads: "Nevada produces the most gold of any state, but California already won the title of the Golden State, so Nevada settled for the silver. (The bronze went to Romania.)" Not to be confused with a reference book, this title does not provide the same type of information for each state. Each page dependably names the state bird and capital, shows a small shape map of the state, and gives its nickname. After that, it's a free-for-all. Ending with a fractured version of "America the Beautiful," it must be said, this book is a hoot.—Ellen Heath, Easton Area Public Library, Easton, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In this sly, comic, and irreverent book, loaded with hilarious puns and parodies about our 50 state birds, words and images deliver bits of history, folklore, and geography about each state. Young grade-schoolers probably won’t understand all the humor (the illustration of Iowa’s American goldfinch shows two of the birds dressed up like the folks in Grant Wood’s American Gothic; Washington state’s goldfinch is said to sound like “dot-com-dot-com-dot-com”). But many will enjoy the images of the Baltimore oriole in a baseball cap throwing a crab cake in Maryland, the American robin riding a Harley-Davidson in Wisconsin, and the mockingbird of Mississippi resembling Elvis with a mike. Talbott’s colored pencil and mixed-media illustrations ably combine the cartoon uproar with a sense of the individuality of the feathered creatures—as with the shy hermit thrush of Vermont singing musical notes that fill the sky. Clever, refreshing, and fun for individual reading and wonderful for classroom teachers. Grades 3-5. --Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399245200
• ISBN-13: 978-0399245206
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #485,333 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars USEFUL FOR YOUR NEXT ROAD TRIP, June 8, 2008

By	Lily White (Illinois) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a fun book that is loaded with "trivia" about each state.
It not only has the state birds, but capitol cities, state flowers, and
other state animals when they exist. Some states have lists of famous
people. The cheerful and often funny illustrations help identify
what each state has within it, like seaside, or farm land or whatever.

It could be useful in many ways for kids and their parents who like
maps, geography, travelling, etc.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Tweets, April 2, 2009

By	C. Start (upstate NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful book! I laughed as I read it. I purchased it for a friend who is a 5th grade teacher. Children will love to have this book read to them and older children can learn about our fifty state birds and other fun facts while enjoying the humor of Hudson Talbot. Acceptance, cooperation and diversity are showcased at the conclusion of The United Tweets of America Pageant. What a hoot of a book. Very highly recommend.

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Book, June 14, 2009

By	Loves Books (Maryville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

A friend first showed me this book and I knew immediately I needed to order it for my 6 year old granddaughter. I was glad she loved it as much as I did. We have read the entire book several times and she loves to name the states and their bird. Such a fun informative book ! We had out- of- town company this weekend and once they picked it up they couldn't put it down. They are wanting a copy of their own !