Winged Poetry

4/25/2019

Superlative Birds by Leslie Bulion ill Robert Meganck

Which birds can do what birds do, best?

Bulion takes flight (most of the time) in her latest collection of STEM inspired poetry.

This antholog of verse celebrates the avian species. Meet a dozen birds, each exhibiting a distinguishing characteristic that can be classified as superlative. Discover which bird has the widest wingspan (wandering albatross), most feathers (emperor penguin), longest round-trip migration (Arctic tern), and most accurate hearing (barn owl).
Lots of fascinating trivia tidbits here.

Thoughtful page design presents engaging text that is easy to read. A superlative trait appears as side vertical banner. A corresponding poem describes the bird's unique and noteworthy characteristics. All poetic verses are accompanied by a brief science note containing additonal information. Meganck's softly-colored line drawings, while anatomically accurate have a whimsical appearance, especially the bird’s facial expressions. Charming! The narrator, a chick-a-dee, provides running commentary on each page and ties individual pages together with a common thread.

Here's where this slim volume stands out: it is more than a study of avian characteristics. It’s poetry. Bulion uses a variety of poetic forms including couplet, free-verse, limerick, song lyrics and more. The construction of various poem forms are discussed in the back matter. The author chooses a specific poetry format based on the subject, offering rationale for each poem’s form. For example: since the Arctic tern spends most of its life over the sea, this verse is based on rhythm and rhyme of a sea chantey. Because the jacana lives in Spanish-speaking Central and South American countries, this poem is a soledad, a Spanish form of poetry.

Back matter includes a glossary, poetry notes, and additional resources including websites, books, activities such as bird walks and local or global projects.

Combining intriguing avian information with an introduction to various forms poetry make this a stellar addition to schools, libraries, local wildlife and nature centers. It can also serve as a resource for educators, combining science with literature. Superlative Birds is STEM at its best. Magnificent work Leslie Bulion and Robert Meganck.