I laughed when I read the title of this book because in Alaska a “snow bird” is someone who only spends summers in Alaska and migrates south for the winter.  However, this book is about birds that survive the cold elements and stay!

SNOW BIRDS is a collection of poetry written by Kirsten Hall and illustrated by Jenni Desmond.  It takes a look at birds who do NOT migrate south for the winter, but instead must survive the harsh cold elements.  How do they do that?  What species do that?  This is an incredible collection of poems chock full of facts (including sidebars and back matter) that makes for a fascinating read and would be a great classroom addition.  It’s not hard to see why this book has already received praise and accolades, including a Notable Title for ‘Excellence in Children’s Poetry’ by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) as well as being awarded a “Blue Ribbon” by the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB).  It deserves it!  I certainly never thought in depth about this subject until I read this book and I will never look at those little song birds quite the same way again.

I chose a poem about one of my favorite birds.  I adore blue jays.  Always have, always will.  We don’t have them up here in Alaska.  We have their cousins, Stellar Jays, which are rarely seen.

And if you’re looking for more poetry fun this month, be sure to check out the Kidlitosphere Event Roundup!  Thank you for stopping by!