Cardinal Fun Facts: Fun Facts on Birds for Kids by Michelle Hawkins

 

Do you know that Cardinals are the only bird with a crest in the United States?

And do you know that every little habit of this little bird can become a story to tell?

It is sometimes difficult to make our children understand the beauty of nature, to make them appreciate the small things, the beauty of a flower, the freshness of the air, the scent of grass. Many times we are not fortunate to be in contact with nature, far from a meadow, closed in the cities, but so often while being able to look out from our balcony in a beautiful country house, we know how to observe but do not appreciate the beauty of creation.

Know the details and habits of a bird as common as it is surprising, through a simple path and that fuels the interest and curiosity of your child. That's the purpose of this book.

But beware, prepare for the challenge!

You will have to be able to answer the questions that your child will ask you by showing off their deep knowledge in the microworld of the Cardinals:

•Mom, do you know the states where the Cardinal is the state bird? I do!
•Hey dad, do you know if both male and female Cardinals sing? I do!
•Grandpa, do you know how much a Cardinals weighs? I do!
•Grandma, do you know how many eggs Cardinals lay in their nest? I do!
•Sarah, you're my big sister and you've studied a lot, but I bet you don't know the Cardinals favorite seed! I know that.

You don't need anything else, just one click on "Buy Now" and you will let your child live a magical new adventure with his new friend Cardinals and the magic natural world of songbirds.

Available on Amazon

Paperback * Kindle

(affiliate links included)

Find more of Michelle Hawkins' many titles on Amazon here!

I was compensated via Fiverr for sharing this post. I only share those books that I feel will be of interest to my readers.

Kids Review 'Vicky Finds a Valentine'

For Valentine's Day this week, I read the story Vicky Finds a Valentine to my students who are ages 4-6. We read it in two short sittings, due to time constraints. When we finished it today, they burst into applause! Here are some of their specific comments about the book:

"I liked this story. I think you should write more stories like this, because you are good at writing stories." ~~Q., boy, age 4

"It reminded me of when I gave [the teachers] my valentine." ~~ M., boy, age 4

"I thought of Shadow Kitty, who is my special friend and valentine." ~~T., girl, age 5

"I thought of my mom and my dad and my sister and my ferret, who are all my special valentines." ~~B., girl, age 5

"Vicky Has a Valentine was a very nice book because it kind of made me think of finding a valentine. That's why I liked it." ~~N., boy, age 6

"I liked the book. the birdie was funny." ~~V., girl, age 5

"I liked it at the end of the book, because I liked it when the girl said she would be the lovebird's valentine." ~~J., boy, age 5

"It was a good story. I liked it a lot." ~~A., boy, age 6  

'Vicky Finds a Valentine' Book Tour & Review

BLURB:

Vicky is happy young lovebird with a great life as the Johnson family pet. When her human Marie starts making Valentine’s Day cards for her first grade class, Vicky is definitely intrigued. "Valentine’s Day is very special," Marie explains. "It only comes once a year, and when it comes, you have to tell everyone how much you love them. But most of all, you have to find a special friend to be your Valentine." A day about love? That’s fantastic! Now who can be Vicky’s special Valentine? A search begins as Vicky asks anyone who will listen to be her Valentine. Unfortunately, the pretty dolly ignores her, and so do the people in the glass box—and she's not sure she can trust the family cat's intentions. Will the day come to a close before Vicky can find a Valentine? There’s only one way to find out. Join Vicky in her hunt for love in this special holiday edition of the color-illustrated Bird Brain Books series for children.

**My thoughts**

I think this one is my favorite out of the Bird Brain books thus far. Vicky is a sweet little lovebird, simply looking for a special Valentine. She tries asking a doll, the couple on the TV, and almost gets into trouble with the kitty. But then, she finds her perfect Valentine, who has been right there all along.

It's one of those stories that reminds you that finding a Valentine is about celebrating any kind of person who is special to you. It doesn't have to be the romantic love of your life. Valentines are also close friends. They are the people who make you feel best about yourself. And I also like how Marie is making homemade valentines for her loved ones. I am not a fan of those impersonal cartoon cards that you can buy in abundance at the stores. This story captures the meaning of Valentine's Day.

Buy links: Amazon \ Smashwords

BIO:  

Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

ONLINE LINKS:

Website & Blog:  www.emlynchand.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/emlynchand

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/emlynchand

Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/emlynchand

'Bird Brain' Books by Emlyn Chand - Virtual Book Review Tour

Bird Brain Books

By Emyln Chand

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Honey the Hero

Honey, an inquisitive young parakeet living in the Australian Outback, decides to become a superhero after she spies a human family watching Superman. Since she already has the power of flight, all she needs to do is create a costume to conceal her true identity and then fly off in search of animals that need rescuing.

Unfortunately, every time she tries to help, Honey only ends up making matters worse. She spoils Kangaroo’s game of hide-and-go-seek by revealing his hiding place to Wallaby; Mr. Anteater must go hungry when she alerts the ants to his presence, and Mrs. Koala is made a laughingstock among bears when Honey pretends to be her Joey. Finally realizing that she’s not as heroic as she’d like, Honey gives up her day-saving efforts.

But what happens when someone actually needs Honey’s help? Will she rise to the challenge?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Davey the Detective

Davey dubs himself the luckiest crow in the entire world when he finds a wonderful, shiny object. It even has a fantastic name: “paperclip.” Wow!

One dark and dreary day, Davey’s treasure goes missing, and he is beside himself with grief. Luckily, he knows just how he can find out which of the forest animals is to blame for the theft. Inspired by the torn pages of a Sherlock Holmes story that were used to fashion his nest, Davey calls on the help of Sarah the sparrow to investigate the mystery and, hopefully, retrieve his prize.

Together the two birds begin to collect clues. Their trail leads them straight to Mr. Bushtail, a greedy squirrel who keeps a giant store of objects in a hollowed-out tree trunk. When Mr. Bushtail refuses to cooperate, the two birds have no choice but to break into his tree house in search of the truth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Justice will prevail and treasure will be found in this intriguing tale of mystery.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Poppy the Proud

Poppy is the prettiest peacock in the entire garden, but one day his privileged existence is upset when an all-white peacock is born and promptly named the most beautiful by a smitten flock. Intensely jealous, Poppy no longer knows where he fits in and decides to reclaim his title as the fairest bird in all the land, no matter what it takes.

In a desperate attempt to regain the admiration of his peers, Poppy steals items from the humans that visit his park. He wraps himself in a beautiful silk scarf, wears a series of ornate bangles around his neck, and even tries to dye his feathers with colored dust from a festive Holi celebration. Unfortunately, each of these attempts not only fails to improve his appearance, they actually make it worse. What’s a poor bird to do?

In this compelling tale of self-esteem, pride, and learning what makes each of us special, Poppy the peacock discovers that true beauty lies beneath the feathers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tommy goes Trick-or-Treating

Tommy is a mischievous little woodpecker who loves to fly to the edge of the forest and watch the people in the nearby suburb. One evening, something strange and exciting happens—people emerge from their houses wearing costumes and carrying colorful buckets with smiling faces on them. What’s even crazier is that they shout a special codeword while standing outside of each house, and are given delicious-looking candy.

Tommy simply must join in the fun. He and his friend, Michael the raccoon, fashion their own costumes and head off to join in the festivities. Thanks to Tommy’s knock-knocking beak and Michael’s quick paws, the duo is able to heist many a candy bar from the unsuspecting homeowners and children.

But are they missing out on the true spirit of Halloween?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Courtney Saves Christmas

Courtney is a peppy young penguin who just loves exploring, and is overjoyed when she receives a compass from Santa on Christmas morning. She’s so grateful for the gift, in fact, that she just needs to give Santa a great big hug and say “Thank you!” in person. The only problem is she lives in the South Pole, and Santa is all the way on the other side of the globe!

With the aid of her new compass, Courtney sets off on a journey that takes her almost an entire year. By the time she reaches Santa’s workshop, the elves are in a flurry preparing for the upcoming holiday. Unfortunately, Rudolph is feeling very sick—too sick to guide the sleigh. If Courtney can’t find a way to help, Christmas will be ruined and all the children of the world will be devastated. What’s a little penguin to do?

**My thoughts**

I have been enjoying reading the Bird Brain series by Emlyn Chand. Each one stars a different type of bird, who is excited about something, just like a little kid would be. Perhaps it is Halloween or Christmas. Maybe it is a paperclip. Whatever excites the bird, is something that a kid could relate to.

Each of the birds ends up learning a valuable life lesson in his or her adventures. They learn how to be good friends and helpers to those in need. They learn important skills to help boost their self-esteem. Each one of these books easily lends itself to one-on-one conversations for parents to have with their children, or for teachers to have with their students. This series is only just getting started. More adventures and life lessons are yet to come!

These books will appeal to children ages 4 and up. I have read them with children ages 4-6 in a school setting and even older in a home setting. The children all seem to enjoy the stories, as well as the illustrations.

Click on a title to purchase it from Amazon: Honey the Hero | Davey the Detective | Poppy the Proud | Tommy Goes Trick-or-Treating | Courtney Saves Christmas 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

ONLINE LINKS:

Website & Blog: www.emlynchand.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emlynchand

Twitter: www.twitter.com/emlynchand

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/emlynchand

  

Emlyn will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour for more chances to win! 

'Tommy Goes Trick-or-Treating' Book Tour & Review

Tommy is a mischievous little woodpecker who loves to fly to the edge of the forest and watch the people in the nearby suburb. One evening, something strange and exciting happens--people emerge from their houses wearing costumes and carrying colorful buckets with smiling faces on them. What's even crazier is that they shout a special codeword while standing outside of each house, and are given delicious-looking candy.

Tommy simply must join in the fun. He and his friend, Michael the raccoon, fashion their own costumes and head off to join in the festivities. Thanks to Tommy's knock-knocking beak and Michael's quick paws, the duo is able to heist many a candy bar from the unsuspecting homeowners and children.

But are they missing out on the true spirit of Halloween?

**My thoughts**

Yet again, children are taught an important lesson with this installment of the Bird Brain series. In this one, Tommy the Bird and Michael the Raccoon concoct a plan to join in the fun that the humans are having on Halloween. They come up with their own costumes and attempt to go trick-or-treating. When no one gives them candy, despite their efforts, they decide to just steal as much as they can. After all, more candy is better, right?

I cringed while reading how the two animals plot to obtain as much candy as they could. I can imagine my students' faces while reading the same. This would be a great segue into a conversation about bullying and friendship.

The animals learn a lesson as they gorge themselves on candy, and get sick off of it. They realize that too much candy isn't a good thing and end up returning the candy to the children. Use that piece to discuss nutrition and how to make amends for being hurtful to someone else.

This book, like all the other bird brain books, are great for children ages 4 and up, and can lead into many great conversation pieces. It can be enjoyed in a one-on-one situation or small group.

Buy links: Hardcover / Kindle / Smashwords

BIO:  

Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!  



ONLINE LINKS:

Website & Blog: www.emlynchand.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emlynchand

Twitter: www.twitter.com/emlynchand

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/emlynchand
a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Davey the Detective (A Bird Brain Book)' Book Tour

BLURB:

Davey dubs himself the luckiest crow in the entire world when he finds a wonderful, shiny object. It even has a fantastic name: “paperclip.” Wow!

One dark and dreary day, Davey’s treasure goes missing, and he is beside himself with grief. Luckily, he knows just how he can find out which of the forest animals is to blame for the theft. Inspired by the torn pages of a Sherlock Holmes story that were used to fashion his nest, Davey calls on the help of Sarah the sparrow to investigate the mystery and, hopefully, retrieve his prize.

Together the two birds begin to collect clues. Their trail leads them straight to Mr. Bushtail, a greedy squirrel who keeps a giant store of objects in a hollowed-out tree trunk. When Mr. Bushtail refuses to cooperate, the two birds have no choice but to break into his tree house in search of the truth.

Justice will prevail and treasure will be found in this intriguing tale of mystery.

**My thoughts**

This is yet another cute book in the Bird Brain series by Emlyn Chand. I like how Davey is inspired by Sherlock Holmes and hope that this may inspire children to read them on their own. I know young children love to solve mysteries. I can see them wanting to go on their own paperclip hunt after reading this story.

I also like how it teaches the lesson of "innocent until proven guilty." It also teaches kids to make amends for making incorrect assumptions and accusations against others. And then there is the spirit of teamwork, to get jobs done.

Buy links: Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle 

BIO:  Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

ONLINE LINKS:

Website & Blog:  www.emlynchand.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/emlynchan Twitter:  www.twitter.com/emlynchand Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/emlynchand

I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest review. a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Honey the Hero! (A Bird Brain Book)' Book Tour

BLURB:

Honey, an inquisitive young parakeet living in the Australian Outback, decides to become a superhero after she spies a human family watching Superman. Since she already has the power of flight, all she needs to do is create a costume to conceal her true identity and then fly off in search of animals that need rescuing.

Unfortunately, every time she tries to help, Honey only ends up making matters worse. She spoils Kangaroo’s game of hide-and-go-seek by revealing his hiding place to Wallaby; Mr. Anteater must go hungry when she alerts the ants to his presence, and Mrs. Koala is made a laughingstock among bears when Honey pretends to be her Joey. Finally realizing that she’s not as heroic as she’d like, Honey gives up her day-saving efforts.

But what happens when someone actually needs Honey’s help? Will she rise to the challenge?

**My thoughts**

How many kids do you know who are like Honey? How many times have you been Honey? I think most people can relate to that desire to help, only to have it backfire. It happens to all of us at one point or another. Honey learns an important lesson to take a step back and assess a situation before diving in to help. Too often we dive in before our help is really needed.  If we are patient, we will be able to help in a special way that only we can.

I think kids will appreciate and relate to the superhero aspect, as they all want to be superheroes in their own right. After reading this book, you can have a discussion with them about ways in which they can be superheroes in their lives. 

Another great Bird Brain book. :-)

Buy links: Amazon \ Kindle     

BIO:  

Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

ONLINE LINKS:

         Website & Blog:  www.emlynchand.com

         Facebook:  www.facebook.com/emlynchand

         Twitter:  www.twitter.com/emlynchand

         Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/emlynchand

a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Poppy the Proud (A Bird Brain Book)' Book Tour

BLURB:

Poppy is the prettiest peacock in the entire garden, but one day his privileged existence is upset when an all-white peacock is born and promptly named the most beautiful by a smitten flock. Intensely jealous, Poppy no longer knows where he fits in and decides to reclaim his title as the fairest bird in all the land, no matter what it takes.

In a desperate attempt to regain the admiration of his peers, Poppy steals items from the humans that visit his park. He wraps himself in a beautiful silk scarf, wears a series of ornate bangles around his neck, and even tries to dye his feathers with colored dust from a festive Holi celebration. Unfortunately, each of these attempts not only fails to improve his appearance, they actually make it worse. What’s a poor bird to do?

In this compelling tale of self-esteem, pride, and learning what makes each of us special, Poppy the peacock discovers that true beauty lies beneath the feathers.

**My thoughts**

I enjoyed this fairy tale.  It is a story that has been told so many different ways over the years, yet continues to be relevant. Children need to learn compassion for each other for who they are. Snow is an excellent role model for acceptance. Children also need to learn to be happy for being themselves. Poppy eventually learns this lesson. I think many children will easily learn the lesson contained within and will be able to relate to Poppy.

The illustrations were fun and captured the gist of the story.

This is a story I would recommend for children ages 4 and up. 

I shared this story with a six year-old boy. He also enjoyed the pictures, exclaiming, "Wow!" every time I turned a page to reveal a new illustration. He chuckled here and there as Poppy made a fool of himself, trying to show off. He smiled when Snow helped Poppy realize that he was still beautiful in his own way. 

He gave me the following review:

"Tell the author that I felt sad when the other animals were making fun of Poppy. And tell her that I felt happy when Snow made Poppy feel better. And tell her that I liked her book."

So, there you have it, out of the mouths of babes.

I continue to look forward to reading more of the books in this series.

Buy links: Paperback \ Kindle      

 

BIO:  Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

ONLINE LINKS:

         Website & Blog:  www.emlynchand.com

         Facebook:  www.facebook.com/emlynchand

         Twitter:  www.twitter.com/emlynchand

         Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/emlynchand

'Courtney Saves Christmas (A Bird Brain Book) Book Tour

BLURB:

Courtney is a peppy young penguin who just loves exploring, and is overjoyed when she receives a compass from Santa on Christmas morning. She’s so grateful for the gift, in fact, that she just needs to give Santa a great big hug and say “Thank you!” in person. The only problem is she lives in the South Pole, and Santa is all the way on the other side of the globe!

With the aid of her new compass, Courtney sets off on a journey that takes her almost an entire year. By the time she reaches Santa’s workshop, the elves are in a flurry preparing for the upcoming holiday. Unfortunately, Rudolph is feeling very sick—too sick to guide the sleigh. If Courtney can’t find a way to help, Christmas will be ruined and all the children of the world will be devastated. What’s a little penguin to do?

 **My thoughts**

So many stories exist in which a character grows and finds new strength within herself as she saves the Christmas holiday. This one is really cute, though, and worth being added to your Christmas list. Courtney has a love of exploration, which leads her to her greatest adventure ever. It's also a good lesson in being grateful for what you are given and stepping up to help when needed.

This is my first Bird Brain book. I really liked it and the idea of using birds to tell stories. I also caught a hint of science as they talked about how to tell direction with the compass and how penguins live in the South Pole. Also, the mention of ostriches living in Africa can lead to research and discussion about habitats. I look forward to checking out the rest of them.

This is a picture book, but the story is long. Your youngest kids may not be able to sit through the entire book all at once, but older ones will. Another option would be to break it up into sections while reading it with really young ones.

Buy link: http://amzn.to/TY6R6a

 

BIO:   

Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she's not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children's book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don't forget to say "hi" to her sun conure Ducky!

 

ONLINE LINKS:

• Website & Blog:  www.emlynchand.com
• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/emlynchand
• Twitter:  www.twitter.com/emlynchand
• Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/emlynchand

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of B is for Bufflehead

B is for Bufflehead: Flying through the ABC's with fine-feathered friends is the product of two years of work by photographer and author Steve Hutchcraft. He took the time to find 49 different kinds of birds from North America, two for each letter of the alphabet (except U, X and Z). He then photographed each one and then researched each one. Through the pages of the book, each bird tells its own story. After the birds are introduced, readers are invited to take a "Who's Who?" quiz that serves as a sort of reading comprehension with picture recognition, as well as providing information on even more North American birds. The back of the book has a full index with even more information about each bird, including its range, habitat, food and other fun facts.He also includes a variety of websites and print books that serve as resources for further information.

To emphasize the alphabet in both uppercase and lowercase, two birds are used. One has its name written with the lowercase letter and the other is written with the uppercase letter. My only problem with this is that they don't seem to follow the usual patterns for proper and common nouns.


The photographs are absolutely stunning. Hutchcraft is a very talented artist. I love that he uses real photographs instead of illustrations, so that children can really know what the bird looks like. I also love the wealth of information given about each bird. The book is presented in such a way that older children could use this book for research and younger children could simply enjoy learning the different names of the birds. Adults would even be able to use it as somewhat of a field guide. It is very versatile.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of this book. This is one that I would definitely like to add to my classroom library. Plus, a portion of the proceeds of the sales of B is for Bufflehead will be donated to habitat conservation and environment education.

Visit the official website for B is for Bufflehead. It includes fun activities and lesson plans coming soon.

Check out some of Steve Hutchcrafts's nature photography at his website.