Hawks Kettle, Puffins Wheel And Other Poems of Birds in Flight

This lyrical celebration of birds explores the fascinating ways these creatures move through the air.

For each of twelve birds from around the world, a captivating poem describes the animal's distinctive movement and the special word associated with that movement, from geese who skein and puffins who wheel, to crows who mob and starlings who murmurate. The evocative language conveys the beauty of each bird and describes the sights and sounds of how each one makes its own unmistakable way in the world. An informational sidebar complements each poem, describing the reasons behind the bird's way of flying.

Award-winning children's author Susan Vande Griek has created a unique exploration of the magnificence of birds in flight. Illustrator Mark Hoffmann captures the animals with bold, highly engaging artwork that makes this book a visual standout among traditional nature books. All of the factual content has been verified by ornithological experts. End matter includes further information about each bird and a glossary. Along with the book's use for poetry units, it also has applications for life science lessons on animals and the characteristics of living things.

Susan Vande Griek's writing has won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction. Susan divides her time between Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, and Kingston, Ontario.

Mark Hoffmann is a children's book illustrator, fine artist and professor at Montserrat College of Art in the illustration department. Hawks Kettle, Puffins Wheel is his third book for children. Originally from Minnesota, he now lives with his family outside Boston, Massachusetts.