WINGS

The creative team that collaborated on Beaks (2002) tackles the subject of wings. Beginning with a look at the many types of animals that have wings, Collard then offers some examples of the wide diversity of wing styles—differences in size, color and covering are all explored. He presents the dynamics of flight briefly, along with ways wings can influence an animal’s activities and the many things animals accomplish by using their wings. The text concludes by comparing animals’ wings to the wings humans have invented to achieve flight. Font differences make the text easily adaptable to many age groups—for the very young, just a short sentence, while for older readers there is an entire paragraph of information. Every animal is labeled, and the list of resources and glossary at the back will help children learn more. Brickman’s awe-inspiring artwork was created by painting paper with watercolors, then cutting, sculpting and gluing the individual pieces of each collage. The result is an amazing feast of color and texture that brings the creatures to life and helps readers see how wings work. A must-have for every library collection. (Nonfiction. 3-8)