Review by Booklist Review
Now that penguins have had their day in the sun, it's time for flamingos to strut their stuff and not just as lawn ornaments. Focusing on one family, London lucidly explains how the birds breed and care for their young. With their spindly legs and bulgy eyes, flamingos aren't as cute as penguins, but they have a similarly intensive, dual-parent approach. Rodanas' illustrations, in colored pencil over watercolor wash, wonderfully convey flamingo anatomy and movement, as well as the beauty of their surroundings. Drama flares when a storm builds, and the flamingos can only huddle close together and wait it out. Different but equally dramatic is a young flamingo's flight running on water, flapping his wings . . . neck stretched forward, legs floating behind . . . gracefully flying into a flaming, flamingo sunset. An author's note provides more facts. Because of hunting and development, flamingos no longer nest anywhere in the U.S., so the birds pictured here are from the Caribbean island of Bonaire.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-"As the spring sun sets into the tropical sea, two flamingos build a cone-shaped mud nest at the water's edge." Soon the female lays a single egg, and after the adult birds warm the egg for 30 days a chick hatches. This attractive picture book joins simple narrative and well-drawn scenes rendered in colored pencil and watercolor wash to follow the flamingos and their large flock through their yearly pattern. The chick is first fed "fat-rich crop 'milk'" by his mother but then learns to find food for himself. One day the birds experience a violent storm, and then all is bright and sunny again. Weeks pass, and finally the chick is nearly full grown, ready to fly and follow his parents on a feeding trip; next year they'll all be back to build new cone-shaped nests. The richly rendered views, both compelling and absorbing, tell the story perfectly, introducing these striking, exotic creatures in an account that will be enjoyable read-aloud fare as well as perfect material for science lessons. The author's note adds a few facts for adults, including a warning about the need for conservation efforts.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
From an egg laid in a cone-shaped mud nest to the chick's first flight, this book chronicles the start of a flamingo's life. Though the information is sparse, London's prose is lyrical. Realistic watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations, strong with pinks and turquoises, are evocative of tropical climes. An author's note provides more facts about the habits, diet, and habitat of the birds. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
