The Beak Book
From cover to cover, The Beak Book draws the reader in with its vibrant illustrations of our feathered friends and their unique beaks, including the black skimmer, the Atlantic puffin, the ruddy duckling, and more. Not only can readers observe each bird up close, but they can also learn more about the specific purposes of each beak, such as straining, sniffing, shredding, or breaking out of an egg. For those who are curious to know more, captions provide the name of each bird and additional details about the use of their beak. At the end of the book, readers will find a map of where each bird lives, what they eat, and their relative size compared to an average human. Looking for a fascinating non-fiction read? Be sure to pluck this one off the shelf before its gone!
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
Bring vocabulary to life by exploring some of the interesting beaks in this book. If available, create a science table where children can use objects to see how certain beaks might work. For example, a kitchen strainer can demonstrate how the ruddy duck uses its beak to filter seeds, plants, and insects from the muddy bottom of a pond. Children can use spoon like tongs to “snap” up prey like the roseate spoonbill. Point out that the book begins with the adult ruddy duck, and ends with the young ruddy duckling hatching out of an egg. Did they know that many baby birds, like the ruddy duckling, have a special egg tooth that helps them break through the shell of the egg?
Adults can talk to children about the difference between a fiction and non-fiction book. This book is non-fiction because it is about real events and facts. It can be read from front to back, or the reader can select which pages he or she would like to read. When re-reading the book, children might have a favorite bird they like to search for and talk about. Adults can observe their child’s cues and follow their lead when reading. On some pages, a child might want to hear more details about the bird on the page, and on others, a quick look might be enough. Adults can pull out details from the additional text to answer questions or provide interesting facts while reading.