My Baby Blue Jays

by John Berendt

Overview

A blue jay building a nest outside his window prompts John Berendt to find his camera and record the familiar, yet always fascinating sequence of events that will unfold, from eggs being laid to chicks emerging and trying to fly. Children and adults alike will be astonished at the adventurous spirit of one particularly curious young blue jay as he ventures into the world. The author of the best-selling Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil brings his narrative skill to this up-close and delightfully informal account of an event that recurs each spring.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101643693
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/09/2011
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

John Berendt has been a columnist for Esquire and the editor of New York magazine, and is the author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction.

Hometown:

New York, New York

Date of Birth:

December 5, 1939

Place of Birth:

Syracuse, New York

Education:

A.B. Harvard College, 1961

Editorial Reviews

Berendt, alas, is no National Geographic photographer. Some of the images are blurry…But the simple, homey story is so appealing, and the prose so carefully and sweetly pitched to young readers, that even adults will be transported to a state of childlike wonder.
—The New York Times

Pamela Paul

Someone living on 87th street in New York City probably would not expect to see blue jays up close every day. But, that is just what happened to author John Berendt when two blue jays decided to build a nest on his balcony. He followed the blue jays step-by-step, from the start of the nest to the return of the babies. The photography is amazing as he was able to get so close to the little birds. He followed them carefully when they left the nest for the first time and was able to document how they strengthened their wings to be able to fly. This is an interesting book for children to read and thus learn: how birds are hatched and how they survive after they are born but before they can fly on their own. His insights and observations will delight young and old alike. Reviewer: Nicole Peterson Davis

Children's Literature - Nicole Peterson Davis

When two blue jays build a nest on a third-floor balcony of his New York City home, Berendt documents their work and the progress of their three eggs and chicks, right to the first fledgling's surprising first journey.

The author's 4"x6" snapshots, with scalloped white borders, are mounted one or two to a page above or alongside a short paragraph of exclamation-point littered text. These images, some perhaps taken through a window, are not always very clear. His text ascribes human emotions and actions to these birds and often talks down to his audience. "And what do you think he gave them to eat? Bugs and worms!" He also presumes gender, assuming it's the male who chose the nest site, began the construction and does the feeding, though he admits at the end that the only time he could tell them apart was when the female laid the eggs. He describes the birds' actions as if he were talking to grandchildren, using a first person conversational voice and occasional direct address. This is a first title for children by the city-dwelling author of best-selling adult nonfiction. Exciting as this encounter with nature was for him, he hasn't translated it into a successful children's book; a better choice is Pamela F. Kirby'sWhat Bluebirds Do(2009), with its large, sharp photographs, objective description and helpful end matter.

Subpar photography plus patronizing text keep this one from flying.(Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews