Jennifer Ward - I Love Birds!: 52 Ways to Wonder, Wander, and Explore Birds with Kids

Roost Books

An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.

4720 Walnut Street

Boulder, Colorado 80301

roostbooks.com

2019 by Jennifer Ward

Illustrations 2019 by Alexander Vidal

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Ebook design adapted from printed book design by Daniel Urban-Brown

Cover art by Alexander Vidal | Cover design by Daniel Urban-Brown

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Ward, Jennifer, 1963 author. | Vidal, Alexander, illustrator.

Title: I love birds!: 52 ways to wonder, wander, and explore birds with kids / Jennifer Ward; illustrations by Alexander Vidal.

Description: Boulder, Colorado: Roost Books, 2019. | Audience: Ages 4 to 8. | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018011422 | ISBN 9781611804157 (paperback: alk. paper)

eISBN 9780834842168

Subjects: LCSH: Bird watching. | Family recreation. | Outdoor recreation.

Classification: LCC QL677.5 .W335 2019 | DDC 598.072/34dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018011422

v5.4

a

CONTENTS

A S A YOUNG CHILD I recall lying in bed, tucked in silence and stillness. The light was dim and dusky, filling every nook and cranny in my room; I can still see this so vividly. Then, out of nowhere, one single birdcall pierced the quiet, separating night from morning. This call was joined by another call. And then more calls, the sounds building in crescendo, overlapping, high, low, melodic, and nonstop. The very air brimmed with song that is the dawn chorus. It was the first time I had ever experienced it, and even as a child I knew it was something magnificent. Experiencing it made me feel wondrous. It made me feel alive, special, and, most importantly, connected to the big, wide, wonderful world around me. To this day I continue to listen for it.

In 2008, my book I Love Dirt! was published. At that time, it was a call to parents, grandparents, educators, and caregivers to help recover one of the greatest joys in childhood: spending time outdoors in nature. We were in the midst of a true nature deficit, a term coined by author and journalist Richard Louv. Children and adults alike living with overly busy schedules, engaged with screen time from sunup to sundown, seeking places where they could stay plugged in near electrical outlets, schools eliminating recess, and the like. Thanks to Richard Louv and many others, today a glorious movement is taking placea wise awareness that spending time in nature is beneficial to our health and well-being. Research also supports the detrimental effects of living without nature.

It is a joyful thing to watch our children discover the world around them, and birds certainly enhance this experience. As a matter of fact, engaging with a simple bird feeder is one of the most common ways people may interact with wild animals. Birds can be found everywhere, high, low, wherever we go. As children discover the wonder, beauty, science, and souls of birds, we are given a priceless giftexperiencing the world through their eyes.

This book was born from one of my dearest passions: birds. Like I Love Dirt!, it offers fifty-two open-ended activities that will give the outdoors back to your children. In just five minutes, you can turn your childs world around, open their senses, and connect them to nature. I Love Birds! encourages your child to think, wonder, wander, explore, create, nurture, and have an amazing time with the avian wildlife that coexist with us day to day, month by month, and season by season.

Anywhere a bird might be spotted provides an opportunity for discovery. They bring the gift of nature to us wherever we may be. Be it a city sidewalk, an urban park, through a window, from a wheelchair, in a backyard, or even while lying in bed waiting for the dawn chorusbirds are waiting to be enjoyed and discovered! Time in nature is free of costas are the activities in this bookbut the rewards that come with exploring birds will stay with your children for the rest of their lives, benefiting them and the planet they share with birds. Now get out there and soar!

Thank you for sharing I Love Birds! with the wee chicks in your life. In this book youll find a host of creative and engaging ways to better understand these winged wonders. The activities are categorized by the habits most birders practice:

Observe: To know birds, you must observe birds. These activities offer ways to see, hear, and better understand birds and bird behavior.

Take Note: Use this book (or get a trusty notebook) and write down the things you notice about birds and draw the birds you observe.

Take Action: Become a better bird advocate by doing simple projects that support the birds in your area.

Ready to fly? Lets do this!