Nonfiction Picture Books: We Are Starlings, Great Carrier Reef, The Book of Turtles

We Are Starlings: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of a Murmuration by Robert Furrow & Donna Jo Napoli, illustrated by Marc Martin. Random House Studio, 2023, 30 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 0-4

Recommended for: ages 3-8

“We are starlings. This morning is chilly. We are restless to leave this cold place.” They start with a few taking to the air together to meet other groups. The groups join into bands and the bands to flocks, and before long “There are hundreds of us!” Perhaps even thousands, joining together in a “murmuration.” That’s their actual group name, suggested by the sound of their wings as they swoop, wave, and spiral through the sky.

The narration is simple and the illustrations are in dashes of watercolor, building up to a double-fold, four-page spread of a full “murmuration” dancing on the air. “More about Starlings” at the end offers more information—not a list of facts and stats but enough to make developing bird watchers scan the skies for migrating flocks. Don’t be surprised to hear “Look, Mom! Starlings!”

Overall rating: 4 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4.25

Great Carrier Reef by Jessica Stremer, illustrated by Gordy Wright. Holiday House, 2023, 39 pages

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 4-7 as a read-aloud; 8-10 for independent readers

Are ships ever sunk on purpose?  Here’s the story of one, the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany. From 1950 to 1975 the “Mighty O” launched more aircraft and completed more missions than any carrier of its time. After 25 years of service, the vessel was docked and sold for scrap but never cut up.

Meanwhile, “off the coast of Florida, reef fish living near a stretch of sandy ocean floor need help.” Without protection, ocean species were in danger of extinction from predators or fisherman. Marine biologists reckoned the spot an ideal place for a reef, and began looking at the Oriskany as an ideal home for threatened species. The vessel was stripped, scrubbed, towed, and wired with explosives to carefully sink to the ocean floor. There she remains, as “Eagle rays glide through steel caverns” and “Urchins parade across the former flight deck.” Great Carrier Reef is a sterling example of the various creative ways humans carry out the creation mandate (Genesis 1:28) in caring for the earth.

Overall rating: 4

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Artistic/literary value: 4

The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Matt Patterson. Clarion Books (HarperCollins), 2023, 38 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 4-7 as a read-aloud; 8-10 for independent readers

“Sometime around 240 million years ago . . . the shell invented the turtle.” That’s a fascinating opening to a fascinating subject, for there’s no animal quite like a turtle on this earth—none so long-lived or uniquely formed. We can dispense in the first two pages with the multi-million-year timeframe and casual overlooking of Who actually invented turtles; the book is beautifully illustrated with a wealth of facts about the biggest, smallest, oldest and weirdest. Turtles can find their way through mazes and (some of them, anyway) climb fences. Some even hunt in packs.

The book ends with examples of human predation and ways we can help preserve the species. Some of these seem extreme—the implication, for instance, that all single-use shopping bags end up in the ocean where they strangle sea turtles. And the final page exaggerates their importance to the ecosystem. But young zoologists and herpetologists will devour the facts and have a greater appreciation for the box turtle they find in the backyard.

Overall rating: 3.75

• Worldview/moral value: 3
• Artistic/literary value: 4

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader

• Review: By Sy Montgomery: The Hyena Scientist.
• Reviews: The incredible sea-turtle story of Yoshi and the Ocean. And for a wider picture of the animal kingdom, see Steve Jenkins’ The Animal Book.
• Resource: Love Your Yard booklist: Nature study books to spark creative appreciation.

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