Sun Bird - by Lindsay Moore (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

This beautifully illustrated picture book by the creator of the acclaimed Sea Bear and Yoshi and the Ocean celebrates the awe-inspiring 18,000-mile migration of one of Earth's most amazing animals--the Arctic tern. Features a map and informational back matter.

With bodies home to hollow bones and weighing about the same as a handful of sand, Arctic terns are designed for flight. And fly they do. These remarkable animals migrate an astonishing 18,000 miles--from pole to pole and back again--each year. Along the way they encounter danger, weather, other migratory animals, and a wide range of ecosystems and habitats. Because they chase the sun, ornithologists speculate that the Arctic tern enjoys more hours of daylight than any other animal on Earth.

As she did in her acclaimed picture books Sea Bear and Yoshi and the Ocean, Lindsay Moore combines a poetic, highly readable, science-rich text with gorgeously rendered watercolor paintings. Readers will be swept away by the beautiful and graceful terns, the spectacular landscapes and seascapes they traverse, the sheer magnitude of their journey, and the awesome mysteries of nature. A terrific choice for schools, for science and language arts curriculums, and for family sharing. Includes extensive back matter.

Review Quotes

"Text and pictures soar in this view of the longest annual migration in the natural world. . . . With contagious wonder and a memorable observation that the Arctic tern sees more sunlight than any other creature, Moore retraces the long yearly journey of small birds. . . from Arctic summer waters to Antarctic ones. . . . Sure to leave budding naturalists enthralled and impressed. Natural science at its most visually and verbally lyrical." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The incredible adventure is told via lovely lyrical text and exceptional artwork awash in activity and detail. Immersive illustrations capture the brightness of sunny days at sea and the cool depths of the ocean, and there's a marvelous sense of movement on every spectacular page. An extraordinary natural journey well worth taking." -- Booklist (starred review)

With soaring lines washed in luminous colors, Moore traces a year in the life of the arctic tern--an animal that, back matter suggests, may experience more sunlight than any other on Earth. . . . Graceful rhythms of flying birds and schooling fish give movement to the pages, aerial close-ups of birds lend a sense of drama, and reiterative text follows global weather patterns. Even accounting for fearful predators and arduous long-distance flights, this work presents the arctic tern. . . as a creature that not only survives in its harsh environment, but thrives. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The text is paced well and manages to be both simple and vivid, with evocative imagery that easily balances the drama of such an epic global journey with the scientific details. . . . Watercolor dappling and gentle hues dominate and make an effective foil to moments of high drama, be it the inky black feathers of an attacking skua or vibrant night sky of indigos and sparkling white. Backmatter expands upon the title, detailing how arctic terns likely see more sunlight than any other animal as they journey between poles. . . . An entertaining introduction to avian migration." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"In lushly illustrated landscapes of sea, ice, rock, and sky, [Arctic terns] catch fish and fend off ravens, foxes, and polar bears. . . . Moore's poetic lines, just a few to most pages, include essential scientific details about the terns. . . . Moore's delicate watercolors are a marvel of animals in motion: soaring, diving, bobbing, reaching, schooling." -- Horn Book Magazine