Swallows in the Birdhouse

Two children put up a birdhouse in their backyard and watch as a pair of tree swallows build a nest and raise six babies before migrating south in the fall, in a book that provides information about tree swallows and about birdhouses

Kindergarten-Grade 3?In early spring, two children put up a birdhouse and watch as a tree swallow and her mate settle in. Using dry grass and feathers, the female builds a nest inside the house while the male stands guard. She lays eggs and sits on them for two weeks. When they hatch, both parents collect bugs for the nestlings. Eventually, the small birds leave the nest and as autumn approaches, hundreds of swallows crowd the telephone wires as they prepare to fly south. The strength of this simple book is its fascinating naturalistic illustrations, done in watercolors that have been cut, molded, and glued together to form three-dimensional sculptures that were then photographed. Cutaway and aerial views offer a look at what is going on inside the nesting box, as if one side of it were made of glass. A page of "fascinating facts" ("Before they migrate, tree swallows gather in great communal flights, sometimes 50,000 birds strong"); a quick guide to tree swallows (size, color, range, etc.); tips on how to attract them; and detailed instructions for building a birdhouse are appended.?Helen Rosenberg, Chicago Public Library, IL
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Swallows in the Birdhouse ($15.90; March 1996; 32 pp.; 1-56294-182-8): A fictionalized treatment of the arrival of tree swallows at a wooden nesting box built by two children, Hayley and Martin; they retreat from the text after the first three pages and thereafter appear only in the illustrations. Ardent nature-lovers may prefer their information more straight up than this offering allows, but budding ornithologists will be lured in and find plenty to pore over: not only the details of the swallows' stay, but the sculptured look of Brickman's pretty watercolor collages. (Picture book. 5-8) . . . -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 5^-8. Readable text follows a pair of tree swallows from their discovery of a birdhouse built by a young girl and her brother, through nest building and incubation of the eggs, to caring for the babies. Swinburne's lovely descriptive language details each part of the process in clear, simple prose, effectively using context to introduce readers to new vocabulary words. Art enthusiasts will be intrigued by Brickman's unusual super-realistic watercolor illustrations, which have been cut, sculpted, and layered to achieve a wonderful three-dimensional effect. Several supplements appear after the main text. Some add to the book's usefulness as a research tool--for example, a selection of facts about tree swallows. Others include step-by-step instructions for building a birdhouse and attracting birds. A glossary is also appended. Lauren Peterson