Red Knot: A Shorebird's Incredible Journey

I love this book for two reasons. One is that I live on the Delaware Bay, so the Red Knots are seasonal visitors and the whole horseshoe crab mating season is pretty cool in our area. The second is as a former teacher/librarian, I love to see books that provide so much knowledge to kids without them feeling like it’s “educational!.” On a personal note, I have pictures of all the birds in this book, as well as the horseshoe crabs and eggs, that I’ve taken during the season and I’ve made a matching card game (Used Shutterfly) that coordinates with the book. I’ve paired them as gifts for the kids in my life. I think it really brings it to life.

So much of what gets into kids' heads these days is fantasy or outright false. Explicit fantasy (not masquerading as fact) is fine, and usefully exercises important aspects of the intellect. But there is also a need for simply and accurately told stories about the truly incredible real world we have the privilege of inhabiting. "Red Knot" is that kind of story. It is about the 20,000-mile annual migration of a small shorebird species, from the Canadian arctic to the southern tip of South America, told from the engaging perspective of a single individual. Ecological webs (the precise timing match between horseshoe crab spawning and Red Knot's northward migration), and how such linkages are vulnerable to climate disturbances, lend both relevance and immediacy the story. The prose strikes a nice balance between economy and explication, and the illustrations are, for me, captivating in a lively watercolor style, with interesting perspective shifts from page to page. I would would estimate this book to be most appropriate for 6-10 year olds .

For South Jersey residents and visitors, if you have ever wondered why the beaches along the Delaware Bay are closed on occasion, you really need to read this book. Great read for kids! We leave it out on our coffee table.

Good book, fantastic illustrations. It is a gift for a child

Beautiful illustrations and interesting info

really good and informative information

This book and Crab Moon along with Harry the Horseshoe Crab and Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds have all been very ennjoyable to my grandson (age 4) and I. We have a home at a Delaware beach that is experiencing a great decline in the presence of horseshoe crabs in the last few years, so these books are a great aid to teaching both children and adults about the importance of caring for our wildlife. The stories are accurate and yet hold the kids' attention and the illustrations are beautiful.

Nancy Carol Willis is a local writer and artist and she's written an admirable children's book about the Red Knot. You probably don't have these birds where you live--they are migratory birds that normally live up in the tundra but on their way to migration, they stop on Delaware's shore to refuel by feasting on horseshoe crab eggs (Limulus polyphemus.) Their journey is long, and they are fascinating birds. This story is a great one to read with children--most children are interested in migratory birds, though the exit of the robin in wintertime seems to be something from my past; I see them year-round in Delaware. But other birds are seasonal, and a good topic for discussion as you watch the feeder. The illustrations in this book positively glow--colored pencil makes for detailed but very artistic renderings of nature and birds.

Wonderful illustrations and an informative story.

livre anglophone broché souple grand format récent (2008/2006) consacré au bécasseau maubèche (Calidris canutus); textes simples mais documentés décrivant bien l'histoire naturelle de l'espèce; l'iconographie est magnifique (gouaches et cartes couleur) et fait de cette monographie une très bonne initiation à l'espèce en attendant mieux (on aimerait que les auteurs récidivent pour d'autres oiseaux américains!)