0823416585
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Review by: Dr. Becky Talyn, California State University, San Bernardino:
It's a Hummingbird's Life depicts the life cycle of the ruby-throated hummingbird using interesting and exciting prose, engaging illustrations, and creative layout. The story provides a detailed account of the seasonal behaviors of these energetic but tiny birds, including breeding, feeding, flight and migration. The writing style is engaging, yet includes some thematic repetition to create a cohesive presentation for younger readers. Teachers found the book to contain a lot of interesting information. The children who reviewed this book liked learning about "cute" hummingbirds, particularly their acrobatic flight, long migrations, nesting patterns and feeding the young. Many children enjoyed the illustrations, and several found the story funny, particularly the section about how the hummingbirds lean out of the nest to poop. Text is written in "wavy lines" to mimic the motion of the hummingbird; although this style was a clever idea and appealing to adults, reviews from children indicated that some either had difficulty with the style or just didn't like it. It's a Hummingbird's Life provides children with a fun and detailed look at a fascinating animal.