Animal Poetry

Friday marks the start of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count! It’s time once again to get out your binoculars and bird books and observe the birds that you see in your own backyard (or schoolyard!). This year, as you are recording the birds that you see, take a moment to feel the inspirational power of birds and bird flight. Watch the fantastic flight of a hawk overhead; observe the wonderful colors of the cardinal; note the perfect form of a chickadee’s beak; listen to the “wha-wha-wha” of a nuthatch as it crawls down a tree. When you return from your walk write a poem about your experience. Let Project WILD’s “Animal Poetry” guide you as you create your own nature poetry. Nature and wildlife have inspired countless artists and poets – let them inspire you!

Young Child Extension
Even the littlest of kids can help watch and count birds! Take little kids for a short walk in your backyard or schoolyard and help them count and record the birds that they see. Ask them to share what they see, feel and hear. When you return to the classroom have them draw pictures about their walk or write (or dictate to a teacher) a poem about their experience. Finish by reading poems about birds and nature.

Book List

Grades PreK-2
Arnosky, J. 1997. Bird Watcher. Random House Children's Books.
Arnosky, J. 1993. Crinkleroot's 25 Birds Every Child Should Know. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Arnosky, J. 1992. Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Birds. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Bailey, D. 1992. Birds: How to Watch and Understand the Fascinating World of Birds. DK Publishing, Inc.
Garelick, M. 1995. What Makes a Bird a Bird? Mondo Publishing.
Harrison, M., and C. Stuart-Clark. 1992. The Oxford Book of Animal Poems. Oxford University Press.
Heard, G., and J.O. Dewey. 1997. Creatures of the Earth, Sea, and Sky: Poems. Boyds Mills Press.
Herkert, B. 2001. Birds in Your Backyard. Dawn Publications.
Latimer, J. et al. 1999. Backyard Birds (Peterson Field Guides for Young Naturalists). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Paladino, C. 1993. Land, Sea, and Sky: Poems to Celebrate the Earth. Little, Brown & Company.
Rockwell, A.F. 1992. Our Yard Is Full of Birds. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Ryder, J., and D. Nolan. 1990. Under Your Feet. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.
Sidman, J., and B. Prange. 2005. Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Sill, C.P. 1997. About Birds: A Guide for Children. Peachtree Publishers.
Weidensaul, S. and T. Taylor. 1998. Birds (Audubon Society First Field Guide Series). Scholastic, Inc.
Worth, V., and S. Jenkins. 2007. Animal Poems. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Yolen, J. and J. Stemple. Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People. Boyds Mills Press.
Zim, H.S. 1989. Birds. St. Martin's Press.

Grades 3-5
Arnold, C. 2003. Birds: Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines. Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.
Arnosky, J. 1997. Bird Watcher. Random House Children's Books.
Arnosky, J. 1993. Crinkleroot's 25 Birds Every Child Should Know. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Arnosky, J. 1992. Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Birds. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Bailey, D. 1992. Birds: How to Watch and Understand the Fascinating World of Birds. DK Publishing, Inc.
Bateman, R. 2005. Bateman's Guide to Backyard Birds. Barron's Educational Series, Incorporated.
Bradman, S., and S. Wintringham. 2002. Wild and Wonderful: Poems about the Natural World. Hodder Headline.
Burnie, D. 2005. Birdwatcher. DK Publishing, Inc.
Cortright, S. 1995. Birding Basics. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Dawe, N. 1988. Bird Book and the Bird Feeder. Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
Fitcher, G.S. 1982. Birds of North America. Random House, Incorporated.
Fleischman, P., and E. Beddows. 1992. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. HarperCollins Publishers.
Hamerstrom, F. 1985. Walk When the Moon Is Full. Crossing Press, Inc
Harrison, M., and C. Stuart-Clark. 1992. The Oxford Book of Animal Poems. Oxford University Press.
Heard, G., and J.O. Dewey. 1997. Creatures of the Earth, Sea, and Sky: Poems. Boyds Mills Press.
Herkert, B. 2001. Birds in Your Backyard. Dawn Publications.
Hoberman, M.A., L. Winston, and B. Fortin. 2009. The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science, and Imagination. Sourcebooks, Incorporated.
Hume, R. 1993. Birdwatching. Random House, Incorporated.
Kalman, B., C. Curtis, and M. Jupp. 1982. Animals in Danger: Poems from No Man’s Valley. Random House Children’s Books.
Kirkland, J. 2002. Take a Backyard Bird Walk. Stillwater Publishing.
Latimer, J. et al. 1999. Backyard Birds (Peterson Field Guides for Young Naturalists). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Lerner, C. 1994. Backyard Birds of Winter. HarperCollins Publishers.
Maslowski, S. 2001. Birds in Winter. Smart Apple Media.
Nicholls, J. 1998. Earthways, Earthwise: Poems on Conservation. Oxford University Press, USA.
Peterson, R.T. 1999. Backyard Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Pine, J. 1993. Backyard Birds. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Rockwell, A.F. 1992. Our Yard Is Full of Birds. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Sidman, J., and B. Prange. 2005. Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Sill, C.P. 1997. About Birds: A Guide for Children. Peachtree Publishers.
Vanderhorst, M.J. 2007. Pictures and Poems: Introducing young people to NATURE in a poetic way!. Authorhouse.
Weidensaul, S. and T. Taylor. 1998. Birds (Audubon Society First Field Guide Series). Scholastic, Inc.
Zim, H.S. 1989. Birds. St. Martin's Press.

Grades 6-8
Bradman, S., and S. Wintringham. 2002. Wild and Wonderful: Poems about the Natural World. Hodder Headline.
Burgess, T.W. 2003. Burgess Bird Book for Children. Dover Publications.
Burnie, D. 2004. Bird. DK Publishing, Inc.
Fleischman, P., and E. Beddows. 1992. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. HarperCollins Publishers.
Fletcher, R.J. 1997. Ordinary Things: Poems from a Walk in Early Spring. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Ganeri, A. 1993. Birds. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Harrison, M., and C. Stuart-Clark. 1992. The Oxford Book of Animal Poems. Oxford University Press.
Hass, R. and P. Michael. 2008. River of Words: Young Poets and Artists on the Nature of Things. Milkweed Editions.
Hoberman, M.A., L. Winston, and B. Fortin. 2009. The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science, and Imagination. Sourcebooks, Incorporated.
Kalman, B., C. Curtis, and M. Jupp. 1982. Animals in Danger: Poems from No Man’s Valley. Random House Children’s Books.
Latimer, J. et al. 1999. Backyard Birds (Peterson Field Guides for Young Naturalists). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Lee, F. 2005. Backyard Birding for Kids: A Field Guide and Activities. Gibbs Smith.
Nicholls, J. 1998. Earthways, Earthwise: Poems on Conservation. Oxford University Press, USA.
Robbins, C.S. 2001. Birds of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press.
Spaulding, D.T. 1997. Watching Our Feathered Friends. Lerner Publishing Group.
Ward, A. 2004. Pocket Factfiles: Birds. Sterling Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Weidensaul, S. and T. Taylor. 1998. Birds (Audubon Society First Field Guide Series). Scholastic, Inc.
Yolen, J. and J. Stemple. Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People. Boyds Mills Press.

Grades 9-12
Bosselaar, L., and E. Hiestand. 2000. Urban Nature: Poems About Wildlife in the City. Milkweed Editions.
Collins, B., and D. Sibley. 2009. Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems about Birds. Columbia University Press.
Dobson, C. 1981. Feeding Wild Birds in Winter. Firefly Books.
Felstiner, J. 2009. Can Poetry Save the Earth?: A Field Guide to Nature Poems. Yale University Press.
Furlow, E.S., et al. 1990. Joy of Songbirds. National Wildlife Federation.
Gardner, D. and N. Overcott. 2003. Birds at Your Feeder: A Guide to Winter Birds of the Great Plains. University of Iowa Press.
Harrison, M., and C. Stuart-Clark. 1992. The Oxford Book of Animal Poems. Oxford University Press.
Hollander, J. 1994. Animal Poems (Everyman’s Library). Knopf Doubleday Publishing.
Hyett, B.H. 1996. The Tracks We Leave: Poems on Endangered Wildlife of North America. University of Illinois Press.
Johnson, A. 2005. Iowa Birds. Lone Pine Publishing.
Johnson, J. 2003. 1000 Facts on Birds. Barnes & Noble Books.
Kavanagh, J. 2001. Iowa Birds. Waterford Press Ltd.
Roth, S. 2000. Backyard Bird Feeder's Bible. Rodale Press, Incorporated.
Tekiela, S. 2001. Birds of Iowa: Field Guide. Adventure Publications.

My Kingdom for a Shelter

One of the basic habitat needs of animals (humans included) is shelter. Animals use different materials in their habitat to create shelters. Wildlife shelters vary by species and while some are elaborate, the underground burrows of prairie dogs for instance, others are very simple, such as a songbird’s use of a bush to escape a storm. Use Project WILD’s “My Kingdom for a Shelter” to explore animal shelters. Pick an animal, explore where it lives and how it makes shelter and then try to recreate it!

Young Child Extension
Talk with little kids about how our homes keep us warm and safe; compare how animals need places to be warm and safe as well. Explore some animal shelters in books and pictures. Try reading “My Very First Book of Animal Homes” by Eric Carle. Then have kids draw pictures of their homes or an animal home that they choose.

Book List

Grades PreK-2
Allen, J. and S. Mendez. 2009. Animal Homes. Kingfisher.
Arnosky, J. 1997. Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Carle, E. 2004. A House for Hermit Crab. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.
Carle, E. 2007. My Very First Book of Animal Homes. Penguin Group (USA).
Chessen, B. and P. Cahanko. 1997. Animal Homes. Scholastic, Inc.
Hoberman, M. A. and B. Fraser. 2007. A House is a House for Me. Penguin Group (USA).
Lock, D. 2007. Animals at Home. DK Publishing, Inc.
Magellan, M. 1990. Home At Last. Humanics Children's House.
Squire, A.O. 2002. Animal Homes. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Tatchell, J., A. Baker, and J. Rigby. 1999. Animal Homes. E.D.C. Publishing.
Wilkes, A., et al. 2003. Animal Homes (Kingfisher Young Knowledge Series). Kingfisher.

Grades 3-5
Arnosky, J. 1997. Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Hoberman, M. A. and B. Fraser. 2007. A House is a House for Me. Penguin Group (USA).
Magellan, M. 1990. Home At Last. Humanics Children's House.
National Geographic Society. 1987. Animal Architects. National Geographic Society.

Grades 6-8
Ballard, C. 2008. Watching Wildlife: Animal Habitats. Heinemann.
Ganeri, A. 2005. Animal Homes (Nature Files Series). Chelsea House Publishers.

Grades 9-12
Benvus, J.M., and G. Wolff. 1989. The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.
Hansel, M. 2007. Built by Animals: The Natural History of Animal Architecture. Oxford University Press, USA.
Franz, B.S. 2006. The Wildlife Habitat Journal-Restoring and Exploring Wildlife Habitat in Your Own Backyard. Lulu.com.