I chose today’s Perfect Pairing books for several reasons: to coincide with my husband’s birthday, as we lived for several years near the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s wild bird refuge, Sapsucker Woods, and enjoyed many visits there; to celebrate the author, who is a keynote speaker at a conference I’ll be attending this upcoming Saturday; and to mark the season when so many birds migrate to warmer climes. Binoculars ready?
On Duck Pond (On Bird Hill and Beyond #2)
Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Bob Marstall
Publisher/Date: The Cornell Lab Publishing Group (an imprint of Wundermill, Inc.)/2017
Ages: 3-5
Themes: birds; nature; rhyming
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
In On Bird Hill, Yolen and Marstall took readers on a surreal journey with a boy and his dog, as they stopped, looked, and noticed things along their path—ultimately discovering the miracle of the birth of a baby bird. On Duck Pond continues the journey of the boy and dog story, this time in a new place—a serene pond, filled with birds, frogs, turtles and other creatures going about their quiet business. Their intrusion stirs the pond into a cacophony of activity, reaching climactic chaos, before slowly settling back to it’s quiet equilibrium.
Read a review at Unleashing Readers.
On Gull Beach (On Bird Hill and Beyond #3)
Author: Jane Yolen
Illustrator: Bob Marstall
Publisher/Date: The Cornell Lab Publishing Group (an imprint of Wundermill, Inc.)/2018
Ages: 4-7
Themes: shore birds; nature; rhyming
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Together again! On Gull Beach reunites bestselling children’s author Jane Yolen and award-winning illustrator Bob Marstall for the third installment of the acclaimed On Bird Hill and Beyond series of children’s books written for the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
On Gull Beach brings us to an idyllic shoreline in Cape Cod, where gulls hover, dive, and chase with pitched acrobatics in pursuit of a seastar. This enchanting sequel in a brand new habitat will delight readers young and old.
As with all Cornell Lab Publishing Group books, 35% of net proceeds from the sale of this title goes directly to the Cornell Lab to support projects such as children’s educational and community programs.
Read a review at Miss Marple’s Musings.
I paired these books because they feature nature and encounters with birds, but in different locations, with different types of birds. And who doesn’t love to think about birds and read books about them? Both books feature rhyming, lyrical text by a master of the craft, as well as the same illustrator. I think it’s fun and instructive to think about the different types of birds found in these locations and the moods evoked in the two settings – woodland and beach. There’s also interesting back matter to explore further in both books.
Looking for similar reads?
See the first book of the series, On Bird Hill. Visit Jane Yolan’s website to find more of her 365+ (and counting) published books.
Wander, Ponder, Write 