National Library Day is For the Birds!: Win National Geographic Kids Books for You AND Your Library! #NationalLibraryDay #thankalibrarian #giveaway

 **Books received for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

It's been slow getting there, but every day it seems there are more and more signs of spring making their arrival. After this long winter, we are looking forward to spending some more time outside. One thing that we enjoy doing during the warmer month is watching the birds come and go from the birdhouses in our front yard. As such, when we were given the chance to check out some new books from National Geographic Kids that were all about the birds we were beyond excited. 

Take a look:

Little Kids First Board Book: Birds (board book, ages Baby-3)
Designed to be the stepping stone to the best-selling National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book series, the Little Kids First Board Book series takes similar big subjects and distills them down to the simplest nonfiction concepts for the youngest audience. Not only will readers learn about a variety of birds, they can also find recurring shapes and patterns in the art, while adults can keep their eyes open for occasional funny commentary from the animals. With their bright and playful design, awesome photography, clear text, and cues to encourage interactive learning, the Little Kids First Board Books take a fresh new approach to make learning about nature and science fun.



Little Kids First Big Book of Birds (hardcover, ages 4-8)
"Parents, teachers, and curious children will be fascinated by this excellent introduction to birds. VERDICT Lush nature photography, concise language, a large print size, and a browsable layout: this offering is ideal for home, school, and library use" - School Library Journal
This adorable reference introduces young readers to birds of all kinds: big and small, flyers and swimmers, colorful and plain. They’ll find backyard favorites, such as robins and cardinals and be introduced to more unique species that inhabit rain forests and deserts around the world. Bird behaviors kids can relate to, including singing, dancing, building, swimming, and diving, reveal fascinating insights into the avian world. More than 100 colorful photos are paired with profiles of each bird, along with facts about the creatures' sizes, diets, homes, and more. This charming book will quickly become a favorite at storytime, bedtime, and any other time.



Fly With Me: A Celebration of Birds Through Pictures, Poems and Stories (hardcover, ages 4-8) by Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple
"...a lavishly illustrated compendium of facts, photographs, and poetry...As is characteristic of National Geographic publications, the plentiful photographs are well-chosen and beautifully reproduced. A treasure for browsers and bird lovers everywhere." -- Kirkus Starred Review
"With text that never talks down to its audience, this makes an ideal choice for family sharing or classroom browsing." -- Booklist

This thoughtful and beautifully curated collection of our flying, feathery friends highlights the role birds play in human life from centuries ago to present day. While it's beautiful and contains many original poems, it's also full of valuable real science about these wondrous creatures. From history and behavior to spotting and photographing, there's something for every bird fan in the flock. Young birders will learn all about migration and the importance of habitat conservation. They'll find stories about bird rescues and fun facts about the fastest, strongest, and tiniest fliers. They'll also discover the best bird nests, sweet songs to sing, ways to listen for and identify the birds around them, and more.



NG Kids Bird Guide of North America 2nd ed (paperback, ages 8-12)
Fly into the world of birds in the most complete guide for kids to North America's birds, featuring range maps, cool facts, interactive activities and crafts, and detailed descriptions and drawings by Jonathan Alderfer, one of the country's top avian experts and artists.The guide features profiles of 50 of North America's most popular birds--including how and where they live and tips about how to spot, hear, and attract them--as well as mini-profiles of another 100 birds, for coverage of 150 bird species in all.


Everything Birds of Prey (paperback, ages 8-12)
From eagles to falcons and talons to beaks, Everything Birds of Prey introduces readers to the world's most ferocious fliers. With stunning visuals and energetic, impactful design, readers won't stop until they've learned everything there is to know about birds of prey.

 

From the littlest to the oldest of birdwatchers, this assortment of books has a little bit of something for everyone. Let's start with the tiniest of birdwatchers: Little Kids First Board Book: Birds is ideal for babies and toddlers, giving them loads of birds to look at with sturdy pages they can't rip. My children are well beyond the board book stage but we can still appreciate the fabulous photography that we have come to expect from National Geographic.

As kids get a little older they can enjoy Little Kids First Big Book of Birds.  Don't let the name fool you, this book is just as packed with fun facts and information about all the birds as any other National Geographic read... though perhaps given in a way that is more understandable and appealing to the slightly younger audience. My daughter is at the older end of the suggested age group for these books, but honestly, she still enjoys them just as much. 

Next up, Fly With Me: A Celebration of Birds Through Pictures, Poems and Stories. We have a few more of this type of book from Nat Geo on other topics, and they are always such a welcome addition to our collection. While they still do contain a lot of facts and information, these also offer a little more fun with the poems and stories. My daughter and I especially love going through and reading all the poems. It really expands kids' knowledge and appreciation for the birds in a rather unique way! We also really enjoyed seeing each of the state birds as well. We discovered some rather unique looking birds in this one too! 

Our favorite and sure to be most used of the bunch is the NG Kids Bird Guide of North America 2nd edition. As the name suggests, this gives us a detailed look at many of the birds we can find right here in the United States. My daughter has really enjoyed going through the various species and trying to identify those that we see in our front yard.
And finally, Everything Birds of Prey rounds us out with more in depth knowledge of... well, birds of prey! Once again we are so drawn in by the gorgeous photography and bold graphics... all while learning tons of fun facts. The National Geographic style really does help to making learning fun for kids, which is why they remain a favorite in our home! 


Find more fun bird info, pics and games on Nat Geo Kids' site: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds

See more from National Geographic Kids at the links below:

• National Geographic Kids Books twitter - @NGKidsBks
• National Geographic Kids website: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
• Media Masters Publicity: @mediamastersbks

Want to win a set for your home? We have a very special giveaway in celebration of National Library Day today. In addition to winning a set of the 5 books listed above for yourself, you will also win a set to be sent to your favorite library/librarian! How fantastic is that? Enter using the form below:

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