The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit's Amazing Migration

Gr 1–3—The bar-tailed godwit is an interesting bird. Born in June near the Cape Avinoff mud flats on Alaska's southwestern mainland, the long-legged chicks are quickly able to catch worms, spiders, beetles, larvae, and tiny crabs and to walk and swim-all on their own. Throughout the summer, adult birds and their young spend much of each day eating, and, as autumn approaches, first the adult females, then the males, gather into flocks and begin their long migration to New Zealand. The mature young godwits follow in mid-October, instinctively flying more than 7000 miles over water (about eight days) without stopping. Two predators of the godwit-the Arctic fox and the peregrine falcon-are mentioned. Posada's watercolor and paper collage illustrations show flocks of the wading shorebirds on the beach; in shallow water; in flight-close-ups and side views; overhead and head-on perspectives. They show brightly colored green and brown grasses; fluffy yellow pin-feathered chicks; and a predominance of grays, browns, and blues of birds, skies, and ocean. Appended are a page of additional facts; a simple map showing the birds' flight path; and a brief list of book and website references. The book is well presented and fascinating and could be used as part of a geography lesson or to teach about animals' unusual lifestyles. The large print, simple, straightforward vocabulary, and appealing format make it a good choice for a report or a simple research project for young nature lovers.—Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Heights Public Library, OH