Skip to main content

Vulture View by April Pulley Sayre illustrated by Steve Jenkins

To anyone who thinks writing for children is "easy", let them try to match Vulture View in content, simplicity, rhyme, and rich vocabulary. April Pulley Sayre has done a masterful job of incorporating all these elements into this book which is beautifully brought to life by Steve Jenkins' paper-cut collage illustrations. Even though each page contains a limited amount of text, Sayre manages to teach a lot about turkey vultures; what they eat, what they don't eat, how they find their food, when they look for it, and how they clean up after eating. And vocabulary! How often does a K-2nd grade child hear the words reek, tilt, seek, fragrant, and preen? The rhyme and gentle rhythm of the text make this book a great read-aloud. A big thumbs up for Vulture View!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Next time I am having a bad day, I am going to read the first line of your review. May I be totally biased and say you write excellent reviews? :-)
I'm glad you like Vulture View. I enjoyed watching vultures and hawks soaring as I drove through Utah last year.

Perhaps I will visit schoolchildren in your state next year. Charlesbridge, the publisher of my new book, Trout Are Made of Trees, is having a nationwide environmental project/art project contest for K-3. The winner gets a school visit from me.
www.aprilsayre.com
lw said…
Great review, Nycole! I never think of stuff like the vocabulary building aspect of a very interesting book.

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Review: The Library in the Woods

  The Library in the Woods Written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie Minneapolis, MN : Carolrhoda Books, 2025. Picture Book. I am always intrigued by picture books that tell stories from the past in beautiful and meaningful ways, leaving the reader educated, and also hopeful and inspired. This book definitely did that for me! The cover is a beautiful peek into the story waiting on the pages. Junior and his family have lived on a farm that is having a hard time producing what it needs to for the family to survive economically. The parents make the hard decision to move away from the farm and into the city. Junior misses a lot of things about his life in the country. However, when Junior's friends tell him about a library in the woods, things change for him in the best way! He is amazed by the seemingly endless collection of books, and is eager to check some out for his family. Junior excitedly borrows a few books, including one about a farmer for his dad ...

Review: Tumblebaby

Tumblebaby Written by Adam Rex Illustrated by Audrey Helen Weber New York : Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2024. Picture book. I love a funky picture book. Slumbering Tumblebaby rolls out the door and into a wonderfully meandering yarn, thwarting scoundrels and coyotes, scaling unclimbable mountains, and even building a community center in Colorado City. Adam Rex's text reads like a folksy tall tale, punctuated by funny lines and rhyming chants.  Weber's colorful, round illustrations feel a little Fauvist, a little cubist. It's a sort of "Oh, The Places You'll Go!"  but in reverse - we learn in the last few pages that, in fact, that baby was YOU! This revelation made my young son gasp, which made me choke up.  Tumblebaby is a surreal delight perfect for reading together.