Is This Panama? A Migration Story. Jan Thornhill. Illustrated by Soyeon Kim. Toronto, ON: Owlkids, 2013. 40 pp., hc., ePub & ePdf, $17.95 (hc.), $17.95 (ePub), $17.95 (ePdf). ISBN 978-1-926973-88-3 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-77147-038-4 (ePub), ISBN 978-1-77147-037-7 (ePdf). Subject Headings: Animal migration-Juvenile literature. Seasons-Juvenile literature. Hooded warbler-Migration-Juvenile literature. Migratory birds-Juvenile literature. Kindergarten-grade 3 / Ages 5-8. Review by Julianne Mutimer. *** /4

excerpt:

When Sammy, the young Wilson’s warbler, woke up, his toes were colder than they’d ever been before… Sammy shivered, partly because he was cold and partly because he was excited. If it was this cold, it must be time for him to make his first migration south to Panama.

Poor Sammy the Wilson’s warbler is all alone and lost on his first migration to Panama! In the spirit of stories with a refrain, such as Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman, Is This Panama?, by Jan Thornhill, is the story of Sammy’s adventures and his encounters with other animals while headed south. Sammy’s story presents the science of migration within a storytelling framework, and it will appeal to young environmentalists, scientists, and animal lovers alike. Thornhill – the winner of the NAPPA Gold Award for I Found a Dead Bird – has a gentle and wide-eyed style of storytelling that is appropriate for the point of view of the young warbler and offers a lovely introduction to the concept of migration. Thornhill’s use of scientific terminology is informative, and her story inspires awe in the reader for the process of migration, itself. Kim’s elegant and vivid collage illustrations are subtle enough to depict the body language and facial expressions of Sammy, as well as the landscape changes according to the varying latitudes he flies through. Included in the book are drawings to identify different species of warblers, a map of Sammy’s migration, a write-up about how animals migrate, and a short informative guide to the other animals in the story. Although this book may not appeal to all children because of its lengthy story, leisurely pace, or scientific subject matter, it is appropriate for library shelves or classrooms for storytelling, one-on-one, or solo reading.

     Thornhill’s book is a well-told, beautifully illustrated, and informative one meant to spark children’s curiosity and to broaden their engagement with the world around them.

Recommended.

Julianne Mutimer is a children’s librarian with Surrey Libraries in Surrey, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - November 8, 2013.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME