Blue Sky Bluebird #26
Rick Chrustowski

Chrustowski: Rick. (2004). Blue sky bluebird. New York: Henry Holt.

Awards: Wisconsin Winter’s Essay Award

Grade Level 2-4

Genre: Informational

Content Area: Science

Standards: Life Science (Birds, habitats, growth development)

Access Features: Bluebird News, a page that gives more background information about blue birds.

Author’s Credibility: Rick loves to learn about nature, and while he was making this book he spent lots of time studying a family of blue birds that live in a nest box he made for them.

Illustrations: The artist used up to forty layers of colored pencil over watercolor wash on 140 pounds of watercolor paper to create the illustrations for this book.

Summary: The book discusses a family of bluebirds and how quickly they grow and become independent. When the fledglings (babies) are old enough to collect their food, the parents renew their mating bond and the process starts all over again.

Tone: Conversational

Text: Descriptive

Response: This book reminded me of the Ducks’ book by Gail Gibbons. Ducks develop quickly also.

Related books:
Bright Beetle, Rick Chrustowski; Army Ant Parada, April Pulley