Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Starred Review This stunning, oversize book opens with migrating warblers flying before daybreak: "Tiny. / Strong. / Pushed along / by wings / and rivers of wind. / They share / the air / with buildings, / bats, turbines, and towers. / Then bedraggled, they drop, / A refueling stop." The terse verse defines their purposes and provides a light narrative structure, while leaving space for viewers to linger over the large, beautifully composed photos showcasing the birds and their fascinating, purposeful actions. For 28 years, Sayre and her husband, Jeff (credited with some of the photos here), have taken time out every spring to observe migrating warblers. Spacious double-page spreads display their crisp, clean photos of these songbirds in woodland stopover sites. The enlarged, close-up pictures offer intimate glimpses of the colorful birds as they flit, walk, preen, sing, and forage for caterpillars, spiders, moths, and mosquitoes. For older readers, a four-page appended section discusses warblers and their migration: why they travel, how they find their way, and what enables them to maintain their energy during the long flights. An irresistible picture book for animal-lovers and a unique read-aloud choice for classes discussing migration.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

[=With]This science picture book, featuring spectacular photographs and spare, precise text, focuses on the migrating group of tiny birds called warblers. The poetic text mirrors the birds' flight patterns: very short rhyming lines ("They search. Stalk. / Wag. Walk") are contained within the one long poem. Readers can closely observe bird activity in the photographs, and the pages are skillfully laid out to guide the eye. Websites.

Kirkus Reviews

The Sayres team up to celebrate warbler migration."In spring, as you nightly nap, / warblers flap / over oceans, lakes, / and mountains." Striking photographs from both Sayres and a lyrical text introduce a favorite spectacle of the birding world. Each spring, these tiny birds travel north, some as far as Canada, returning to wintering grounds in the southeastern U.S. and Central and South America in fall. Touching lightly on the hazards the birds might encounter, the text emphasizes their beauty, variety, and behavior along the way. "Then bedraggled, they drop. / A refueling stop. / They must find food / or die." The poem is broken up into words and short phrases set directly in contrasting type on the clearly reproduced images, which range from broad landscapes to impressive close-ups, some filling a page or a spread, others in a neatly arranged group. Four pages of expository backmatter for more able readers generally cover the wheres, whys, and hows of migration and attracting these travelers to your own garden. As there is so much information, some birding readers may find it surprising that the general term "warbler" is used throughout, even in the backmatter, although the book is specifically about New World wood warblers. Frustratingly for those who approach their world with a classifying mind, the photos have no labels, although identifications will be available on April Pulley Sayre's website. Share with very young children to nourish their senses of wonder. (Informational picture book. 3-7)

School Library Journal (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

PreS-Gr 2 Beautiful photographs of warblers in nature are accompanied by rhythmical text that results in an imaginative singsong trip outdoors. Describing their behavior the authors write: "In spring, as you nightly nap, warblers flap over oceans, lakes, and mountains. Tiny. Strong. Pushed along by wings and rivers of wind." The main draw of the book is the trademark photography (previously featured in Best in Snow , Raindrops Roll , and many more books), which features close-up detailed views. The images are so precise, it is almost as if the subjects are suspended in time. The authors call them "beautiful blurs" since they are small, fast, and difficult to find. Plenty of extras are included in the back section for those wishing to learn more, most notably information on warbler migration. VERDICT Visually stunning, this book is great for independent and small group browsing. Jane Hebert, Glenside Public Library District, Glendale Heights, IL