Tiny Birds, Long Flight

 

Tiny Tern Takes Flight 

by Donna B. McKinney; illus by Fiona Osbaldstone 

40 pages; ages 4-6

‎Science, Naturally!, 2024 

theme: birds, migration, nonfiction

Arctic terns live in shivering cold lands near the North Pole.

They may be tiny, but they are mighty birds who dive into icy water for food, and scoop out nests on the rocky tundra. They may be small, but they are fierce protectors of their nests and hatchlings. They may look puny, but when summer light fades and seasons change, they take off on the longest migration journey of any bird – flying all the way from the Arctic to the Antarctic. A wonderful story about an ordinary tern making an extraordinary flight.

What I like about this book: Sure, this book is filled with facts, but the language is so lyrical you don’t even notice. As seasons change, “sunlight creeps toward darkness as the Earth turns on its axis…” Air currents carry the terns “higher, further, southward.” Back matter shows details of the tern and their feathers, tells more about migration, and describes how they live in the Arctic and Antarctic. And there's the alliterative title, too!

Beyond the Books:

Arctic terns are migrating, and right now are close to the midpoint in their migration from the Antarctic to the Arctic. You can look at their migration map, and find out more about these tiny terns at All About Birds.

Join a scientific expedition to monitor arctic tern migration via this video

For deeper study of arctic terns, check out this hands-on unit from author and teacher, Jessica Fries Gaither

Fly like a tern. In the book, the terns rise and glide on air currents. They twirl and soar. Can you move like a tern?

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the author.