KIDS

By: Iggi, Republic Branch Library

If your family is like mine, you’ve noticed new visitors with pretty feathers and warm-weather songs in trees and at feeders. Our collection offers lots of opportunities to explore birds and bird behaviors with your family.

If you browse a branch collection or search for "birds" in our online catalog, you’ll find a lot of general information books like the National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America. These are filled with great facts and pictures of all kinds of birds in North America, including lots of neat birds you don’t see around here. However, if you and your kiddo are looking for specific information on the birds you can see in your own Greene County backyard, I recommend trying books in our Local History section instead!

Birds of Missouri Field Guide by Stan Tekiela is written for adults, with a page of brief technical behavioral information about each bird. On the opposite page, there is a lovely color photo of the bird, making it easy to identify who is singing outside your window. The book is small enough for kid-sized hands and the birds are organized by color, which is my favorite feature! If your child is confident turning pages, using the color tabs to find the bird they’re looking for is really fun. The color tabs even account for birds that have different plumage between males and females.

Another great kid-friendly bird guide found in Local History is the Compact Guide to Missouri Birds by Michael Roedel and Gregory Kennedy. The writing is organized in an easy-to-read format, with bullet points and “Did You Know?” facts for each bird. The Compact Guide is another small book, with rounded edges and smooth, thick pages that make it really nice to flip through. It is organized by habitat, so it might be nice for a trip to the lake where you’ll see water birds or to identify an owl spied in the dark.

You might be surprised what other adult nonfiction books are suitable for kids who get interested in a subject. Exploring text that’s above their reading level in an enjoyable, no-pressure environment is great for encountering new vocabulary and keeping a reading mind limber!