Book Reviews for The Blues Go Birding Across America

Five avian siblings go bird-watching across the United States to find the perfect song to sing at the White House Fourth of July celebration. There’s lots of action on every page with speech bubbles for each bird; practical bird-watching tips on yellow sticky notes; field guide information; and notebook diary-type entries by each sibling. Each spread is filled with colorful details and a lot of textual variety. The traveling birds are drawn in different outfits as they surf in Hawaii and see an albatross; fish in San Francisco Bay and watch ring-billed gulls; and wade through the Okefenokee Swamp on stilts to see a spoonbill before arriving at the White House. Many corny jokes will appeal to young senses of humor, e.g., “Don’t these humm-m-ingbirds know the words?” Uno, one of the brothers, concludes, “I guess fancy songs and flashy feathers always impress females.” Sammi corrects his slanted remark a few pages later in her own notebook, “Father Mallard had a bright green head. He doesn’t take care of babies, so he doesn’t need to be camouflaged.” This is a lighthearted romp with solid information on birds and bird-watching that could inspire future ornithologists.

— School Library Journal (April 2010)

The first in a planned series, this introduces readers to the BLUES, a bluebird band of five members. Their mission is to compose a new song for their first big concert on the lawn of the White House on the Fourth of July. To accomplish this, they are visiting the different regions of the United States and listening to the birdsongs in those areas. This clever conceit introduces young children to the joys of birdwatching. Each spread includes a page from one of the BLUES’ notebooks as well as a page from a field guide. Taken together, these give readers some interesting facts about each bird. Birding tips scattered throughout will help aspiring birdwatchers successfully begin their new hobby. Backmatter includes a map of the United States marked with each bird’s location and a list of sources for further information. Schroeder’s BLUES are full of personality, each with his/her own strengths, interests, likes and dislikes. She keeps them easy to identify with accessories in their favorite colors, and the cartoonish main characters stand out well from the more realistically portrayed regional birds and their habitats. A creative introduction to a popular hobby.

— Kirkus Reviews (April 2010)

Kids indifferent to birds won’t be once they meet Bing, Lulu, Uno, Eggbert, and Sammi, adorable bluebird siblings that thrive on adventure. In The BLUES Go Birding Across America, the first of a series, the feathered family travels coast to coast in search of a new sound for an upcoming singing performance. In Alaska a majestic bald eagle with a penetrating stare awes them, but its cacophonous kak-kak-kak call won’t work for their tune. Neither will a mockingbird’s mimicry. “Let’s not copy a copycat,” says Bing. Throughout the trip, the tubby siblings—each dons a trademark color—quip in thought-bubble form, while also updating a notebook with observations about their talent search. “Mother Mallard was very protective,” writes Sammi about waterfowl swimming in the Charles River’s dark waters. “She was mostly brown, so she and [her] babies could easily hide, or be camouflaged, when on land.” Additional field guide-worthy information on every other page offers more bird facts to educate young readers swept up on the journey. Eventually the family finds its avian American Idol—a robin—and puts on a smashing performance. Kids will look forward to the encore: book two, when the BLUES fly off in Roger Tory Peterson’s footsteps.

— Audubon Magazine (May 2011)

As with all of the Dawn Publications book, the illustrations in The BLUES Go Birding are wonderful. The BLUES Go Birding Across America is the first in a series that is not just a travelogue, but also a beginning birdwatcher’s manual. The book explores the amazing variety of birds found across North America, and provides plenty of natural history information along with a fun storyline. But it’s the illustrations that make this book so powerful. Placing each bird in its habitat and showing in details the markings that make them unique, these are the things that create a lasting impression in the minds of young readers. . . .

— Clearing Magazine (December 2010)

This is the first in what promises to be a delightful series of books designed to teach children about nature and the earth around them. The story follows a group of five birds, blue in color, as they journey across America looking for a new song to perform at the White House.

Each place the Blues travel, they discover a new bird. They learn, along with the reader, what each bird eats and how it lives in its habitat. The Blues are seeking new music, but they find all birds are different and some do not have songs. The characters and the illustrations are darling, but perhaps the best part of The Blues Go Birding Across America is the brilliant dialogue, rhymes, and word play. Song lyrics and hidden meanings are sprinkled throughout, making this a fun read for both children and adults.

The Blues Go Birding Across America is highly recommended for children interested in learning about America and nature. Its unique format of main story, informational blocks, and journal entries from the Blues, make it visually appealing, and the Blues leave the reader with promises of more adventures to come.

— New Age Retailer (August 2010)

This book is about five little bluebirds named Bing, Lulu, Uno, Eggbert and Sammi each with distinct personalities. The bluebirds take a trip across America and meet the eagle in Alaska, the woodpecker in Michigan, the mockingbird in Georgia and many other different birds. Bing is their ambitious leader. Lulu is the belle who loves everything pink. Uno is a one-of-a-kind for whom everything goes wrong. Eggbert is the super birder with all the answers. Sammi is a sportster who loves adventure. Children will love reading this book. The next book in this series is The BLUES Go Birding at Wild America’s Shores.

The idea for this book sprung from the fertile imagination of illustrator Louise Schroeder, of Las Vegas, Nevada, who drew caricatures of little bluebirds in proximity to realistic illustrations of actual birds. The effect was charming, and the children’s literary agent Sandy F. Fuller, of Vail, Colorado, recognized their potential as a children’s book. Sandy, together with long-time educator, birder and writer Carol L. Malnor of Penn Valley, California, developed the BLUES as characters and as an educational medium.

— The Nashville News – Mary Barrett (June 23, 2010)

Carol Malnor and Sandy Fuller’s The Blues go Birding across America is a delightful, yet informative story about dozens of types of birds. The Blues, a musical group comprised of five bluebirds has an upcoming outdoor concert on the White House lawn and need a new song to sing. They fly around the country to listen to different bird singing groups to get inspiration for a new song. On the Blue group’s journey, they meet all different types of birds ranging from ducks to vultures. They learn every bird family has a unique sound and eventually decide to sing an old favorite at their concert. The story contains small journal pages on each full size page giving few facts about each bird type the Blue group visits. Bright illustrations use reds, oranges, blues and yellows. Readers will find this feel good book to be funny and charming as they wait to hear what song the Blue group will choose to sing in front of the White House.

— Oneota Reading Journal (November 2010)

If you were a bird, what kind of song would you like to sing? In another “Sharing Nature with Children Book” from Dawn Publications, the BLUES – Bing, Lulu, Uno, Sammi, and Eggbert – are a band of singing birds who have a Fourth of July concert at the White House lawn. So they decide to take a trip across the United States to listen to various birds in different locations in hopes of finding a new song for their concert. Just a few of the fifteen birds that they hear are the bald eagle in Alaska, the great roadrunner in New Mexico, the pileated woodpecker in Michigan, and the roseate spoonbill in Florida. Some of them have beautiful melodies, while others make various kinds of sounds. So, whose song will the BLUES pick?

Birds are fascinating creatures. Carol L. Malnor, co-author of Earth Heroes: Champions of the Wilderness which I have previously reviewed, and Sandy F. Fuller have teamed up to create a cute fictional story that is enjoyable for kids to read and also contains a great deal of natural history facts. Each opening contains a life-like, full-color illustration of a bird by Louise Schroeder, along with a birding tip by Eggbert, a page from the notebook of one of the BLUES, and a “Field Guide” with additional information about the bird under consideration. In addition to the material about the birds, there’s some geography here too, with a map of the United States showing where each of the birds was found, followed by a page with suggestions on “How to Have More Fun with Birds” and “How to Learn More About Birds.” This is a great resource for helping children become interested in birds and learn more about them. The next book in the series will be The BLUES Go Birding at Wild America Shores.

— Homeschoolblogger.com (February 17, 2010)

A few years ago, Sandy Fuller, a literary agent, author and illustrator in Eagle County, received some drawings in the mail of “adorable” little bluebirds wearing clothes and accessories from illustrator Louise Schroeder.

“I thought, ‘Someone really ought to do something with these guys,’” Fuller said. “They had little costumes – it was just hysterical.”

After several failed attempts at sending her illustrations to publishers with the hope that they could see the potential for an interesting story about the birds, Schroeder finally found a home for her five little blue birds: a children’s book called The Blues Go Birding Across America, written by Fuller and Carol Malnor.

The book is the first in a series about five bird-watching birds called the Blues, and it received the honor as a finalist in the 20th annual Colorado Book Awards earlier this year.

“I’ve been in the field so long, and it’s a very competitive, difficult field to be in,” Fuller said. “It was sort of gratifying and nice for the Blues.”

Malnor said being a finalist for the award is so rewarding because it shows that others are appreciating their work.

“It’s really been a fun series to work on,” Fuller said. “I think the illustrations in these books are so fabulous. They’re very unique. Once people see them, they just love them.”

The idea for the art came from a photo in a book of five brown birds huddled together on a branch, Schroeder said in an email to the Vail Daily.

“I painted my interpretation of them and added humor by making the middle one mad,” she said. “I then painted several more in different scenes always having the same little bird mad about something.”

Thirty-five paintings later, she had developed a visual story for the blue birds.

Fuller began writing the story, and as Malnor reviewed the manuscripts for Dawn Publishing, she fell in love with Fuller’s idea.

“I am a birder, so I loved the idea right from the beginning,” Malnor said. “I took the ball and ran with it. The cartoon characters are just really adorable, and I think people can relate to their personalities.”

Glenn Hoveman and Muffy Weaver of Dawn Publishing then asked her to co-author the book with Fuller.

“I was totally thrilled because I loved the concept from the very beginning,” Malnor said. “All the information in the book is really accurate. That was really fun for me because I like the science behind birding as much as I like being out on the field and seeing the birds.”

Bird watching is one of the fastest growing hobbies, she said.

“The birds shown are accurate and presented in a fun perspective,” she said. “It has something for everyone. The storyline is a fun one that takes people across America.”

The books about the Blues also contain a lot of humor, Fuller said.

“I like to keep it fun and lively, as well as informative,” she said. “My writing style tends to be lyrical, and hopefully that resonates with kids.”

‘The light just came on’
But Fuller did not always have her mind set on working with children’s books.

While attending Yale in the ‘70s, she was initially interested in studying art. But after taking a seminar with Maurice Sendak, the author of Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen, she was hooked on working with children’s literature.

“It showed me how special a medium picture books are,” she said. “I thought, ‘This is what I want to do.’ The light just came on.”

Aside from the Blues series, Fuller is the author of My Cat, Coon Cat, the author and illustrator of Moon Loon, and the illustrator of Out in the Night and Hannah and the Perfect Picture Pony. She also created the John Denver & Kids picture book series, which is one of her proudest accomplishments, she said.

Her career in children’s literature is all because of Sendak, she said.

“He was wonderful,” she said. “I think I owe it all to him.”

Some of what Sendak writes is macabre and very strange, she said, but she thinks he’s a genius.

“There are special books you remember from your childhood. There’s a magic there that I’ve hoped to put in my own books,” she said. “Maurice had that spirit behind his books.”

Fuller said she shares pieces of herself visually, as well as with words, through her picture books.

“Most of the stories I’m working on or have done come from something in my life,” she said. “I tend to write more nature stories with mountains and animals. It’s personal stuff.”

— The Vail Daily – Courtney Riley (July 22, 2011)

Dawn Publications has a great selection of books regarding people, animals and activities to help readers be more aware of our physical surroundings. They even have some online resources at www.thebluesgobirding.com. The BLUES interactive online clubhouse offers bird maps, sounds, photos and much more.

Dawn’s catalog of books and publications can be found at www.dawnpub.com. Dawn also offers downloadable lesson plans, activities, bookmarks and games for 20 of the Dawn titles. Environmental educators will be very pleased with all the materials offered at Dawn Publications’ website.

The BLUES Go Birding Across America is written by Carol L. Malnor and Sandy F. Fuller. This over-sized paperback is illustrated by Louise Schroeder. It is full of colorful illustrations of enticing birds of all kinds.

Bing, Lulu, Uno, Eggbert and Sami, the BLUES, discover an amazing variety of birds across America. They learn about the eagle in Alaska, the woodpecker in Michigan, the mockingbird in Georgia and many more.

Eggbert offers birding tips to create a primer for young people. Each adorable “BLUE” offers a notebook/suggestions and information when finding and watching birds.

This book will encourage bird watching and there is much about our environment to be learned from birds. Families can use this book for family reading and field trips.

Another title in this series is The BLUES Go Birding at Wild America’s Shores. It is also written by Carol L. Malnor and Sandy F. Fuller. The colorful and beautifully executed illustrations in this book are done by Louise Schroeder.

The charming BLUES visit islands and sandy beaches of the United States learning about the birds. The Puffin is first. The BLUES learn they can help Puffins to survive and explain the project.

— Elk City Daily News – Dee Ann Ray (December 26, 2010)

This book follows five singing bluebird friends- Bing, Lulu, Uno, Eggbert and Sammi- as they travel across the country searching for the perfect song to sing on America’s birthday at the Whitehouse. Along their journey, they discover a variety of other birds. They encounter the American Robin, Great Horned Owl and the Bald Eagle, among many others. They observe what each new bird looks like, how they act and how they sound.

Sammi keeps a notebook full of her observations. Among her many journal offerings, she notes that the albatross they see has a bracelet on. She later learns that this bracelet is actually a band that scientists use to track the albatross wherever it may go. Eggbert provides birding tips on each spread. Some of his advice includes using binoculars to help you see birds more clearly, and he warns not to disturb birds by getting too close, especially when they have babies with them. Field guide information is also included for each bird observed. Body size, wingspan, habitat, diet and the sound(s) made by each bird are recorded in each guide.

This story of the Blues and their quest is entertaining, but it is also a great tool to teach children about birds and birding

— Wild About Nature Blog – Kim Hutmacher (March 27, 2010)

In September 2006, when children’s book literary agent Sandy Ferguson Fuller received a submission of sample drawings from artist Louise Schroeder, Fuller knew she had something special.

The package contained two dozen colorful paintings of five comical bluebirds, packed with personality and potential. Each sample portrayed the little birds visiting different geographical habitats and wearing gear appropriate to the locale, such as ponchos in the rainforest.

These bluebirds appeared to be on a quest to observer remarkable real birds around the world, but there was no story, just artwork with clever captions.

“I thought, ‘How can I craft this into a kids’ book?’” Fuller said.

Well, call it the birth of the “Blues.” Herself a published author/illustrator, Fuller put on her writing hat and created a written proposal to accompany Schroeder’s drawings. After some serious “birdstorming,” they agreed that the Blues would become an official band of birdwatchers who also like to sing and to teach kids about the popular sport of birding.

Fuller switched hats again to act as agent for the book and shopped the proposal to a number of children’s book publishers. Her agency, Alp Arts Co., is located in the Vail Valley. Within a few months, she got the call and a series contract offer from Dawn Publications.

“The Blues Go Birding Across America is the first of five books in the new series,” said Fuller, who will read and sign books at The Bookworm of Edwards on Tuesday.

And just completed for August release, second book is The Blues Go Birding at Wild America Shores.

— The Vail Daily (February 2010)

Meet the “Blues”, a band of five bluebirds who have a gig to perform at the White House. They decide to travel across the United States to watch and listen to other birds, to help in their quest for the perfect song. They visit Hawaii, Massachusetts, Ohio, Florida, Alaska … Well, as the title indicates they go “across America” listening to bird songs and calls.

Each double page spread on the various birds they observe (an eagle family, a ring-billed gull, a turkey vulture, a roseate spoonbill, etc.) not only follows the thread of the story, but also includes notes, facts, birding tips and jokes! Adding to that are the bright illustrations, making this a title that can be enjoyed by many age levels.

The Blues Go Birding Across America, written by Carol Malnor and Sandy Fuller & illustrated by Louise Schroeder, is the first title in a planned series. There will be more adventures of the “Blues”.

— King Counly Library – Library Talk Blog (August 2010)

Kids and grownups alike will love The BLUES Go Birding Across America. It’s accurate, it’s informative, and it?s fun. Mostly fun!

— Ted Floyd, Editor, Birding, magazine of the American Birding Association (October 2009)

Take a journey with these fun, hip characters to see some of the fascinating birds found across the U.S. The BLUES will lead children into the exciting world of birds and bird watching. Your kids won’t want to miss it-and neither will you!

— Anne James Rosenberg, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Youth Education and Outreach Coordinator (October 2009)

The BLUES Go Birding Across America packs a lot of natural history information into its pages, woven into a captivating story with colorful characters. What a great way to introduce young people to the world of birds.

— Bill Thompson, III, Editor, Bird Watcher’s Digest (October 2009)

This wonderful book reminds me of when, at age 10, my mom gave me my first Peterson Field Guide that started me on birding &emdash;an activity that is now a career. It combines an engaging story with accurate information. I’m delighted to see it.

— Edward C. (Ted) Beedy, PhD, ornithologist and author,
A Guide to Birds of the Sierra Nevada (October 2009)

Ready for a road trip? So are Las Vegas illustrator Louise Schroeder’s characters from The BLUES Go Birding Across America. The BLUES started out as a whimsical art series Schroeder created starring cartoonish blue birds traveling to see realistic birds. The artist knew there was a book there and sent her art to Dawn Publications. The publisher teamed her up with authors Carol L. Malnor and Sandy F. Fuller. For more information visit thebluesgobirding.com.

— Las Vegas News (June 7, 2011)

The Blues band, Bing, Lulu, Uno, Eggbert and Sammi head across America searching for new sounds for their concert with Bing’s bird checklist as their guide in the children’s book The Blues Go Birding Across America.

Along the way, the musicians surf and see a black-footed albatross; fish, where they hear ring-billed gulls; pick up jewelry at a bird-banding station; and admire the beat of a pileated woodpecker.

Each stop on their journey has three educational pieces: a birding tip, a notebook and a field guide, combined in an easy-to-follow whole by writers Carol Malnor and Sandy Fuller, and illustrator Louise Schroeder.

— The Herald (Snohomish County, WA) – Sharon Wooton (June 26, 2010)

The BLUES Go Birding Across America . . . is full of colorful illustrations of enticing birds of all kinds. Bing, Lulu, Uno, Eggbert and Sammi – the BLUES – discover an amazing variety of birds across America. They learn about the eagle in Alaska, the woodpecker in Michigan, the mockingbird in Georgia and many more.

Eggbert offers birding tips to create a primer for young people. Each adorable BLUE offers a notebook, suggestions and information when finding and watching birds. This book will encourage bird watching and there is much about our environment to be learned from birds. Families can use this book for family reading and field trips.

— Weathorford Daily News – Dee Ann Ray (Dec. 24, 2010)

Grayce: “The book follows a band of bluebirds who are looking for a new song and they think they are going to find it from other birds. They should make up their own song like ‘Hey, hey we’re the bluebirds.’ I learned that the bald eagle sounds like kak kak. I learned that scientists track birds with bands on their feet. I learned that seagulls eat trash and shouldn’t eat breads because it grows in their stomachs. The roadrunner can run at 15 mph. The great horned owl eats other owls! The red headed woodpecker’s tongue wraps around its skull! Hummingbirds hum with the wind not their beaks. And mocking birds can mock a cellphone! My favorite part would be all the pictures to describe the story. Sammy said, ‘Girls rock!’ I think girls rock too.

Parent’s comments: From the beginning, Grayce was immediately drawn in to the story as told through the little family of bluebirds. She made comments like, “I like the fact they have little hats. One has a funny Mohawk. It looks like it’s going to be a fun and cute book. This is an awesome book.” We really lingered over this book and re-read it as we tried to remember something unusual about each bird. Just today when we saw six vultures tearing apart a dead opposum in the road and heard them grunting, we were reminded of this book and that the lowly vulture is actually a “helpful citizen who keeps our environment clean by eating dead animals.” The Blues Go Birding Across America is the second book we have read from Dawn Publications, whose books all strive to share nature with children, and I plan on buying more.

— Kids Reader Views – Grayce Richardson (almost age 6) (May 2010)