Official Review: One Quirky Bird, the Roadrunner

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desantismt_17
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Official Review: One Quirky Bird, the Roadrunner

Post by desantismt_17 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "One Quirky Bird, the Roadrunner" by Kay Haynes Lottinger.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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One Quirky Bird, the Roadrunner by Kay Haynes Lottinger is an adorable and informational book for kids who want to know more about the quirky bird in question.

While out for a walk in the park their first day of summer vacation, Kelly and Velma see a funny-looking bird run by. They are instantly intrigued and want to know what it is. So, they head to the library to do some research, where they discover their new feathered friend is none other than the Greater Roadrunner. With this discovery comes a wealth of information about roadrunners, including appearance, habitat, nest, and so much more.

This book is perfectly constructed for young readers. The inclusion of Velma and Kelly make this more than just another reference guide. Kids can see other kids being excited about learning and looking stuff up. In this way, the book both educates about the roadrunner and shows kids that learning can be fun.

While this book is mainly for kids, it can be read by anyone. As an adult, I learned so much about the roadrunner, as well as some general animal stuff. I even came across some words I didn’t know. One of these was zygodactyl—when the foot has four toes, two pointing forward and two backward. I thought this was neat, and the author handled the introduction of this big word beautifully. She explained it in a way kids would understand and went on to show how the zygodactyl toes help the roadrunner.

Though this book is short, Velma and Kelly stand out as characters. In particular, I love when they go to the library. While Velma prefers to work on the computer, Kelly likes physical books. This felt like such an important distinction. It shows young readers that there’s no right or wrong way to learn. Each person does what works for them. Later, Velma looks at one of Kelly’s books, introducing the idea that one can learn in multiple ways. These are vitally important lessons for kids just learning how to do research. Furthermore, in today’s digital society, it was so nice to see Kelly interested in actual books.

This book was very well-edited. I noticed only two mistakes. For a fun and informative story that was easy to read, I rate One Quirky Bird, the Roadrunner 4 out of 4 stars. I never really considered giving it less. As I said above, this book could be enjoyed by anyone. Not only is the text informative, but there are pictures (done by high school students) throughout. The book ends with a list of websites and books with more information about the roadrunner, so both the Velmas and Kellys of the world can learn more if they so desire.

******
One Quirky Bird, the Roadrunner
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You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
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Post by nonamer_miss »

Furthermore, in today’s digital society, it was so nice to see Kelly interested in actual books.

This is true! Thanks for a good review!
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Post by Axel360 »

Well,is nice it has a unique title..i think kid would learn a lot from this book.
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Post by Samantha Simoneau »

New words, learning, and libraries - Oh, my! lol. I love a children's book that also educates adults. Thanks for the great review!
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Post by Jessacardinal »

I love birds! I will have to check this out.
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Post by Darlynn_Tebogo »

The book sounds like it carries a lot of helpful information for young readers. It is especially important to learn how to do research from a young age. Thank you for the recommendation and great review by the way. Quick question, does the book have pictures about what the road runner actually looks like or does it only give descriptions?
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Post by kandscreeley »

This sounds like a great book for kids. I love the research component. Sadly, a bit old for this one and have no kids. I appreciate your review, though!
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Post by kdstrack »

This sounds like a perfect book for all those homeschoolers out there. They will not only read it, but they will teach their kids how to make their own books similar to this one! Thanks for the great review and the recommendation.
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Post by Itskai88 »

The cover page looks really well done and this will make for a good study time with kids. Great review.
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Post by Willy 1 »

Catchy title and beautiful cover. Quite informative book. Good review.
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Post by Espie »

That's a big word, indeed, even for me! I wonder how the author did it. Thank you for your interesting review.
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Post by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda »

A lovely book, especially for kids, although as you mention we can all learn from it. I think it's important kids learn about animals and nature and create empathy so they can take better care of the planet.
Great review!
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Post by Beatus »

They are instantly intrigued and want to know what it is. So, they head to the library to do some research, where they discover their new feathered friend is none other than the Greater Roadrunner.

I really want this to be a model for my kids. Everything they see I want then to head to the small home library we have and google it up! As adults they will not only be properly informed but with character that will keep them away from ignorance. Love your review.
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Post by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda »

This book is perfectly constructed for young readers. The inclusion of Velma and Kelly make this more than just another reference guide. Kids can see other kids being excited about learning and looking stuff up. In this way, the book both educates about the roadrunner and shows kids that learning can be fun.
It's so important to encourage kids curiosity and to show them the many ways there are to learn things they're interested in. I think besides learning about this quirky bird, which of course can be interesting, the message on the importance of discovering new things and how fun learning can be is amazing. Kids are naturally curious and we shouldn't lose this enthusiasm to learn as adults.
Thank you for your great review.
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