Here is a house, dear robin. The floor and walls are strong. It's safe from wind and snug from rain and yours for just a song. Birds of all kinds abound in this sprightly collection of feathery friends How does a pelican say hello, a dipper swim, or a plover find a meal in a crocodile's mouth? Where does a cygnet go when it is frightened? These are some of the many questions explored in Eileen Spinelli's lyrical poems and Lisa McCue's charming pictures. Whether children are studying birds in the classroom or are just curious about bird antics and behavior, this playful collection makes an ideal choice for all. Grade 2-5-Bright, boldly designed illustrations coupled with short, rhyming verses-each one offering a tidbit or two of information-will grab the attention of youngsters just learning about poetry. The feathered subjects, native to various parts of the world, seem to have been chosen for their peculiar characteristics or habits (the weaverbird for its odd, communal nest; the nighthawk for its nighttime feeding flights; the bowerbird for its courtship ritual; the penguin for its inability to fly). Spinelli has used a variety of poetic forms, such as quatrain, limerick, and rhymed couplets. Brief notes offering a bit more information about each bird are appended. Nearly all of the watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations are bordered-some edged in stylized design; some framed in a piece of vine or tree branch; some surrounded by ethnic designs from Africa, Australia, Egypt, or the American Southwest. Although many of the birds seem to be smiling, their appearance is quite realistic, and they are shown in their native habitats. A pleasing and playful collection. -Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Gr. 1-3. This poetry collection features 27 short, rhyming poems, each written about a different species and brightly illustrated on a single- or double-page spread. Some of the verses are addressed to a particular bird, while others make observations or provide information about it. In a few cases, readers may be left wondering if the words in the rhymed verse represent fact or fancy, as in "Playful toucan / plucks a berry / tosses it / to toucan two." In most cases, these questions are answered in the appended notes, which also give a few miscellaneous facts about each bird mentioned. McCue's accessible watercolor-and-acrylic paintings often show the birds in action. Third-grade readers will be able to read the poems on their own; however, younger children may enjoy hearing them read aloud. For larger collections. Carolyn Phelan Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "McCue's clean-lined, brightly colored close-ups of smiling birds, all in natural settings framed by garlands of vines, flowers, or patterned ribbons, will draw children to these 27 impish rhymes, each of which celebrates a particular kind of bird." -- Kirkus Reviews "Bright, boldly designed illustrations coupled with short rhyming verses-each one offering a tidbit or two of information-will grab the attention of youngsters just learning about poetry. . . .A pleasing and playful collection." --S chool Library Journal "Third grade readers will be able to read the poems on their own; however, younger children may enjoy hearing them read aloud." -- Booklist EILEEN SPINELLI is the author of many popular books for young readers, including In My New Yellow Shirt, Here Comes the Year, and The Perfect Thanksgiving . Always fascinated by birds, Ms. Spinelli was easily inspired to pen this endearing collection. She lives with her husband, author Jerry Spinelli, in West Chester, Pennsylvania. LISA McCUE is the acclaimed artist of over one hundred books for children, including Bunny's Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown and the popular Corduroy books (originally created by Don Freeman). Also the illustrator of her own greeting-card line, Ms. McCue lives in Annapolis, Maryland, with her family.