MIGRATION

From birds, bats, and butterflies to grass-eating land mammals to whales and fish, animals migrate as their needs and the seasons change.

Gibbons draws on years of experience introducing the natural world to very young readers and listeners to explain an important concept: animal migration. Using a wide variety of examples, she explains both the why and some theories about the how. After a brief introduction, she organizes her presentation topically: migration routes; migration in the sky, on land, and in the water; and finally, how people see and learn about migrations. Each colorful spread includes exposition in large font, definitions in a smaller font, and vignettes of many different species, each pictured on a relevant background (penguins on ice floes, reindeer in a snowy evergreen forest, zebras on grasslands, etc.). Most include hand-drawn maps of the globe showing species-specific migration paths. The animals are generally recognizable and always labeled. Where humans are shown, they are usually white-skinned. An afterword, curiously titled “Let’s Get Going,” includes a variety of additional facts including a mention of one effect of global warming. While there are many titles about specific migratory journeys for a young audience, few are so encompassing. Marian Berkes’ Going Home, illustrated by Jennifer DiRubbio (2010), presents examples but does not pull back for an overall look at the topic till the backmatter.

A straightforward, wide-ranging survey that should be a welcome addition to the nature shelf.