A review by Hannah Floyd
Song for Papa Crow
by Marit Menzin
Schiffer Publishing, 2012
32 pages, $16.99–hardcover
Nighthawk!
by Jamie Bastedo
Red Deer Press, 2013
245 pages, $12.95–softcover
In Marit Menzin's Song for Papa Crow (2012), a young crow "learns to appreciate his voice." The author of our review, Hannah Floyd, is doing the very same thing as she makes her debut here as the youngest writer yet to be published in the pages of Birding. I think you will agree that this second-grader's voice is already an appreciable one, and it comes through loud, clear, and unmistakable in both her writing-as-intellectual-pursuit and her writing-as-physical-activity. To preserve for our readers the powerful and disappearing unity of word and script, and to show how easy this reviewer has made her editor's task, we present Hannah's review in her own words, her own pictures, and her own hand.
- Rick Wright, Book Review Editor
I can't imagine why anyone would want to, but you can click here to read the very lightly edited transcript of the review.
Recommended citation:
Floyd, H. 2013. Bird Books for Children [a review of Song for Papa Crow, by Marit Menzin, and Nighthawk!, by Jamie Bastedo]. Birding 45(3):68.
More genuinely critical than many book reviews I've read. Well balanced.
Posted by: Frank Izaguirre | 04/03/2013 at 10:48 AM
Way to go Hannah!
Your review convinced me that Corinna Wren will enjoy Nighthawk! as she's really into chapter books now and loves a good adventure. I think your dad should take you out for ice cream at least once a week.
Keep up the great writing, reading and birding!
Posted by: David La Puma | 04/03/2013 at 11:14 AM
Excellent review, Hannah. Detailed, balanced, constructive analysis of text, images, and format. I particularly admire your knowledge of music and how you connect that with bird song in your life and in the books. Welcome to the ranks of birding book reviewers!
Posted by: Donna Schulman | 04/03/2013 at 11:31 AM
Congrats, Hannah! Great job--you have a keen eye for reading, writing, drawing, and reviewing. I bought my granddaughter "The Blues Go Birding" but she can't read yet. One of these days.
Posted by: Tom Wilberding | 04/03/2013 at 11:39 AM
Thanks for the reviews, Hannah! I think I'll get a copy of Nighthawk! for Garrett to read. Like Corinna Wren, he's getting into chapter books and I'll bet he'd like this one based on your review.
See you out in the field soon, I hope!
Posted by: Bill Schmoker | 04/03/2013 at 12:14 PM
Great Job Hannah!
Posted by: Seth and Will Gallagher | 04/03/2013 at 12:16 PM
Thanks for reviewing those books! Great insight into bird books for kids and gives me ideas on what books to get for my 4 year old daughter. I also have to mention that of all the book reviews I have seen, this was by far, my favorite.
Posted by: Pat ODonnell | 04/05/2013 at 01:39 PM
Thanks for your great reviews, Hannah! It makes me want to go read those books, even though my kids are grown up. I wonder if you would enjoy writing storybooks about birds...?
Posted by: Linda Groat | 04/05/2013 at 03:21 PM
Nice job, Hannah!
Thanks for giving us an insider's view of children's books.
Posted by: Tom Leskiw | 04/07/2013 at 02:27 PM
Beautifully written reviews! And very nicely illustrated, too - definitely worth seeing in their original form. If you ever write a review of The Unfeathered Bird please let me know.
Posted by: Katrina van Grouw | 04/30/2013 at 11:46 AM