SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

January 21, 2013 by Travis Jonker

Nonfiction Monday: Look Up! by Annette LeBlanc Cate

January 21, 2013 by Travis Jonker   2 comments

Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard
By Annette LeBlanc Cate

Candlewick Press

ISBN: 9780763645618
$15.99
Grades 2-4
In Stores March 12, 2013

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

*Best New Book*

Find it at:
Schuler Books | Your Library

Let us be honest – in terms of activities for kids, birdwatching is pretty low on the popularity list. Due to this, you don’t see many books on the topic. Sure there are guides and handbooks for identifying different birds, but not much in the way of “here’s how you do it”. Look Up! is a “here’s how you do it” kind of book. But it’s more than that. Annette LeBlanc Cate (The Magic Rabbit) mashes up nonfiction, a picture book, and a comic to create something fresh, engaging, and – this is the most impressive point – something that might inspire readers to pick up a notepad and look skyward. An excellent book for budding ornithologists and for those who have no idea what that means.

What happens when you look up? Not much, eh? Look closely – you’d be surprised. While it might seem like there isn’t a ton of wildlife, most backyards and apartment roofs are home to a variety of birds. LeBlanc Cate, a birdwatcher herself, tells and shows what it’s all about. Her love of the subject is clear in sections dedicated to all aspects of birdwatching, including habitats, identification, behavior, and more.

When I first laid eyes on this book I expected to whip through in 5 minutes. I ended up taking 40. There’s a lot going on here and I didn’t want to miss any of it. The tone may be light, but the information is substantial. Every page is packed with text, illustrations, hand-drawn charts, maps, and humor (usually provided by the birds themselves). Even the endpapers are full of helpful hints. Through it all, the emphasis is on enjoyment, not on expensive equipment and miraculous findings, inviting anyone interested to take part.

The scratchy pen & ink and watercolor illustrations match the often comic tone of the book.

Show this to students with an interest in birds, and chances are they’ll be glad you did. It might even create a few bird lovers along the way. Informative and entertaining, this is a book that I hope finds its way into the hands of a lot of young readers.

Review copy from the publisher.

Be sure to check out the Nonfiction Monday round-up at The LibrariYAn.

Filed under: *Best New Books*, Nonfiction, Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

September 2018

Review: Fairy Spell by Marc Tyler Nobleman

by Travis Jonker

July 2016

Nonfiction Monday: The Marvelous Thing That Came From a Spring by Gilbert Ford

by Travis Jonker

January 2016

Nonfiction Monday: The Secret Subway by Shana Corey

by Travis Jonker

January 2015

Nonfiction Monday: Tricky Vic by Greg Pizzoli

by Travis Jonker

June 2014

Nonfiction Monday: Ivan by Katherine Applegate

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

The Best Tweets from the 2023 Youth Media Awards!

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

The Archie Encyclopedia | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

FREEWATER wins the Newbery Medal, live reactions from Heavy Medal bloggers

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

A Book Gallery: Time Loops, books where time is on repeat for teens

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

SLJ’s 2022 Best Books Are Live. Download a PDF of the Complete List.

Best Picture Books 2022 | SLJ Best Books

Best Books 2022 | The Year in SLJ Covers

SLJ Book Reviews Editors’ Favorite Books Read in 2022

Best Nonfiction 2022 | SLJ Best Books

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anamaria says

    January 21, 2013 at 10:28 am

    We adored The Magic Rabbit and hadn’t seen anything else by Cate–this looks very different (colorful, for one thing)! Will definitely check it out.

  2. PragmaticMom says

    January 21, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    I love bird watching and we get amazing diversity here near Boston but my kids have never been into it. Maybe a book like this would help!

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023