If your holiday plans include the Christmas Bird Count and there are kids in your life, considering getting a copy of the picture book BIRD COUNT by Susan Edwards Richmond, illustrated by bird artist Stephanie Fizer Coleman. Despite its name, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) does not fall on Christmas. It’s an annual census of birds in the Western Hemisphere, and takes place anytime between mid-December and early January. The data is collected in “bird circles” which cover specific locations, and is sent to the National Audubon Society, where it is used to determine long-term trends.
Cover of BIRD COUNT, by Susan Edwards Richmond, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
Author Susan Edwards Richmond began attending the CBC in the early 2000s, and has only missed a few years since. In BIRD COUNT, a child named Ava is heading out for the bird count—and for the first time, she is asked to do the tally. Team leader Big Al asks if she has brought a scientist’s most important tools, and Ava knows that means her eyes and ears. The count is not just about seeing birds, and in an early spread, Ava records both a great horned owl and chickadee from their calls. The right side of each spread is Ava’s notebook, and readers can watch the list and count of birds grow over the course of the story.
Counting from calls in BIRD COUNT
Susan is a teacher, a writer, and a poet, and her use of language and understanding of kids shines in the out-loud readability of this story. Math concepts like tally marks and averaging are deftly tied in. The book earned a 2021 Mathematical Books honor award, given by the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute in partnership with both the National Council of Teachers of English and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Averaging counts of a flock of turkeys in BIRD COUNT by Susan Edwards Richmond, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
Illustrator Stephanie Fizer Coleman specializes in birds—with some insects and flowers and kids—but her passion is in helping fellow bird nerds with nature-inspired art. In BIRD COUNT, her focus on color and texture mean that you can almost feel the pom-pom that graces the top of Ava’s woolen cap or the warmth of the post-count campfire.
The post-count campfire in BIRD COUNT
The Christmas Bird Count is one of the longest-running citizen science projects in the world, and this book’s success has led to other books by the author/illustrator team. BIRD COUNT is now part of the “Community Science Counts!” series, which currently includes THE GREAT POLLINATOR COUNT and BIOBLITZ! COUNTING CRITTERS. Backmatter includes more information on each of the two dozen species featured in this book, along with an author’s note with information about the Christmas Bird Count and how to get involved. Because the CBC is citizen science, it is an open invitation to all—including children—to get involved and help the birds.
**********
BIRD COUNT by Susan Edwards Richmond, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
Peachtree, 2019
ISBN: 978-1561459544
$17.99 USA
32 pages, Grade level PreK-3, ages 4-8, Lexile 550L
Leave a Comment