About the Book
Crackle! Crackle! Crunch! What's hatching from that egg? It's a young bar-tailed godwit. She will spend the summer in Alaska learning to fly, find her own food, and escape from scary predators. Her long, long journey begins in October when she flies to New Zealand. This 7,000-mile flight is the longest nonstop bird migration ever recorded. Follow along on her amazing voyage!
About the Author :
Sandra Markle is the author of numerous award-winning books for children. A former elementary science teacher, she is a nationally-known science education consultant.
Markle has received many honors for her series Animal Predators, Animal Scavengers, and Animal Prey. Several titles have been named as National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)/Children's Book Council (CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12, and Animal Predators was honored as a Top 10 Youth Nonfiction Series by Booklist.
Markle is also the author of the Insect World series and several single titles. Her book Rescues! was named a Best Book by the Society of School Librarians International and a Recommended Title of Outstanding Nonfiction by the National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE) Orbis Pictus Award committee; Animal Heroes was named a 2008 Lasting Connections title by Book Links.
Markle lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida with her husband, photographer Skip Jeffery.
Mia Posada grew up in Minneapolis, then studied art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduating, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she lived until 2007 when she moved back to Minneapolis with her husband and children. Mia has written and illustrated five books: Dandelions: Stars in the Grass, Ladybugs: Red, Fiery and Bright, Robins: Songbirds of Spring, Guess What is Growing Inside This Egg, and Who Was Here?: Discovering Wild Animal Tracks. She also illustrated Dazzling Dragonflies by Linda Glaser.
Review :
"Most children have never heard of the bar-tailed godwit, a migratory bird that is indigenous to Alaska. Yet Markle uses the epic yearly journey of the godwit to capture young imaginations and present an important fable about perseverance, courage, and family. Each year the godwits leave the Alaskan mudflats where they are born and fly nonstop more than 7,000 miles to overwinter on the New Zealand coast. Delicate and ethereal illustrations by Posada bring their voyage to life, from the birth of a tiny godwit female to the dangers she faces during the flight, including driving rain and hail and an attack from a peregrine falcon that is only prevented by the intervention of her flock. This story has special significance to Markle, a former resident of New Zealand, as the arrival of the godwit each year is celebrated with cheering crowds and ringing church bells. An obscure yet fascinating topic is the basis of this stylized nonfiction storybook." --Booklist
--Journal
"The bar-tailed godwit is a Pacific-region shorebird with part-time residences in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres--and a fascinating 7,000-mile flight between them. Markle's picture book introduces young bird lovers to the species through a tale of the first months of life of a single female godwit, from her hatching in Alaska until she reaches the shores of New Zealand. The brief, age-targeted explanations of godwit development convey pertinent information about the growing birds' behaviors as the featured godwit and her siblings learn to fly, forage, and especially eat the proportionately enormous amounts of food needed to fuel the upcoming journey. Several predators menace but don't harm the determined young bird, and she makes it safely to Christchurch, where the population welcomes the arrival of the birds--and spring--with celebrations. Posada's creative paper collage illustrations capture the fuzzy down of newborn chicks, the starry nights of flying, and the grassy green springtime of the godwits' homes. Readers wanting to know more about this fascinating species can consult the provided list of text and internet resources." --The Horn Book Magazine
--Journal
"The bar-tailed godwit is an interesting bird. Born in June near the Cape Avinoff mud flats on Alaska's southwestern mainland, the long-legged chicks are quickly able to catch worms, spiders, beetles, larvae, and tiny crabs and to walk and swim-all on their own. Throughout the summer, adult birds and their young spend much of each day eating, and, as autumn approaches, first the adult females, then the males, gather into flocks and begin their long migration to New Zealand. The mature young godwits follow in mid-October, instinctively flying more than 7000 miles over water (about eight days) without stopping. Two predators of the godwit--the Arctic fox and the peregrine falcon--are mentioned. Posada's watercolor and paper collage illustrations show flocks of the wading shorebirds on the beach; in shallow water; in flight-close-ups and side views; overhead and head-on perspectives. They show brightly colored green and brown grasses; fluffy yellow pin-feathered chicks; and a predominance of grays, browns, and blues of birds, skies, and ocean. Appended are a page of additional facts; a simple map showing the birds' flight path; and a brief list of book and website references. The book is well presented and fascinating and could be used as part of a geography lesson or to teach about animals' unusual lifestyles. The large print, simple, straightforward vocabulary, and appealing format make it a good choice for a report or a simple research project for young nature lovers." --starred, School Library Journal
--Journal
"Through simple, lively narration, Markle chronicles the life of a young bar-tailed godwit from birth through the end of her 7,000 mile journey from Alaska to New Zealand. Markle's passion for the godwit, revealed in the author's note, is apparent throughout the story. Scientific facts about both the Alaskan landscape and the godwit emerge. Innovative and engaging illustrations feature bold colors in mixed media collage and watercolor that jump from the page. This is an excellent resource for introducing the concepts of migration and predator-prey relationships to young readers. Markle omits intense details, but young readers will understand the dangers. An annotated list of additional resources is included; high-quality educational resources are also available from the publisher's website, making classroom/library integration a snap." --starred, Library Media Connection
--Journal
"In four short months, a bar-tailed godwit chick becomes an adult that makes an incredible journey.
Migrating 7,000 miles south from their breeding grounds, bar-tailed godwits flee the Arctic winter for the Southern-Hemisphere summer, making the longest known nonstop flight of any bird. From fluffy hatchling on the Alaskan tundra to adulthood on the New Zealand mudflats, Markle describes one female chick's experience for young readers and listeners. There is no anthropomorphization in this narrative, just gentle realism. The author introduces some predators: A fox sneaks up, but the adult birds shoo it away while the chick hides. Later, on the migration flight, the bird avoids a peregrine falcon. Though the text is simple, the author paints a clear picture. 'The young female prances across the mud on her long legs.' Finally, 'The young female swoops down with the flock to the New Zealand mudflats, where land mingles with the sea.' Posada uses painted papers and other fluffy materials for her collage illustrations, which fill the double-page spreads. The bird's signature upturned beak and changing colors are clearly shown. Additional facts, resources for further exploration and an author's note round out the package.
Readers of Markle's Snow School (2013) and Waiting for Ice (2012), both illustrated by Alan Marks, will welcome this additional account of a baby animal's growth to independence." --Kirkus Reviews--Journal
