cover image Swan

Swan

Deborah King. Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, $0 (30pp) ISBN 978-0-688-05534-9

King and Lewis, once again collaborating on a work about birds, prove that fact can be as accessible and entertaining as fiction. As in Puffin, they portray birds' habits and characteristics, tracing a migratory Bewick swan and its flock on a 2600-mile flight south to escape the winter of the northern Arctic tundra. The narrative is straightforward, yet poignant and even romantic in places. Interesting facts about swans are revealed: the males are called cobs; swans preen their feathers to release the oil that waterproofs them; and much more. King's soft-hued illustrations change as the weather does, revealing her love of nature. (3-7)