ALA Booklist (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

This colorful picture book follows the migration of a red knot shore bird as she makes her way north, lays and hatches her eggs, and returns home. A large map on the title page indicates the impressive length of the bird's migratory route, beginning in Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America, continuing through Brazil, along Delaware Bay and St. James Bay, and ending at the bird's arctic nesting grounds in Canada's Northwest Territories. Handsome illustrations, in what appears to be softly shaded colored pencil, present precise depictions of the red knot's appearance and activities within well-composed scenes showing a variety of habitats. Resembling an ornithologist's journal, the text consists of short entries that note the date and the bird's progress, behavior, and environment. The book concludes with a glossary, facts about scientists' banding of birds, and additional information about red knots. Easy to follow and informative.

Kirkus Reviews

One of the unhappy stories of our changing environment is the near-extinction of a once innumerable population of Red Knots visiting the Delaware and New Jersey shore each spring. Without personifying the bird at all, but including an episode of banding that gives the bird an identity, the author of this welcome book follows one Red Knot from its home, Tierra del Fuego, north to its breeding grounds near the Arctic Circle, clearly introducing the species and explaining this story to young readers. Carefully delineated drawings, beginning with a map on the title page, depict this incredible journey in colorful double-page spreads that illustrate the birds so accurately that a birder can easily identify the other shorebirds pictured as well—and notice that the list of pictured birds omits the oystercatchers. The backmatter also includes further information, a glossary and acknowledgements, but no sources or index. This is both a pleasure to look at and a source of useful information for classes studying ecology, birds or seasonal changes in the world. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-10)

School Library Journal (Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

Gr 1-4-This title introduces an endangered sandpiper and chronologically documents her journey from Tierra del Fuego along a 20,000-mile route to the Arctic where she has her young and then makes her way back down south for the winter. A map on the title page illustrates Red Knot's entire route and the birds' range. Willis starts the chronicle on February 1 with the bird's enormous food intake in preparation for the long journey and subsequent liftoff with 100 other knots. Diarylike entries include mentions of diet, behavior, hazards, banding, mating, nesting, and predators. The smooth, simple text is complemented with well-composed, colored-pencil drawings. Factual notes are appended. This book will serve report writers and nature lovers well.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.