Birds: Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines

My second grader had to do a research for her science fair project on "The Flight of A Bird" as she named her project and this book had perfect and complete information at that level. We did not have to go look anywhere else for additional information. It is very easy to read and understand and has lots of illustrations to explain the topics. I absolutely love it. Note that I did not know anything about how a bird flies and just by reading this book with my daughter I understand the topic as well as she does now. So we both learned from it.

Focuses on the anatomical design of birds that allows flight and the physics of flight. At the same time, it is part field guide with detailed and colorful illustrations of a wide variety of birds. Some topics covered are lift, wings, feathers, taking off, flapping, gliding, soaring, and migration. There is a cursory mention of other flyers and gliders like bats, squirrels, and extinct flying reptiles. Karen Woodworth-Roman, Children's Science Book Review.

Superbly illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne and informatively written for young readers by Caroline Arnold, Birds: Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines is an extraordinary picture book for children detailing birds and their amazing ability to fly. From the mechanics of flapping, to different styles of wings, to how some birds use thermals or ocean winds to soar, Birds: Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines is an amazing fact-filled tour of one of nature's common yet ingenious miracles. No school or community library collection should be without a copy of Caroline Arnold and Patricia J. Wynne's Birds: Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines.