An Egret’s Day

Product Description

Poems and photographs take readers up close to observe the daily life of the extraordinary Great Egret. A Great Egret rarely rests. This majestic bird, with its big feet, even bigger beak, and breathtaking lacy wings, is a treat to watch. With his camera, photographer Jason Stemple takes us close to these magnificent creatures to witness their physical—and quirky—beauty as well as their daily habits and behavior—soaring, hunting, preening, nesting—which most of us never get a chance to see. Meanwhile, celebrated poet Jane Yolen offers her keen observations in carefully-crafted poetry that is at once whimsical, thoughtful, and thought provoking. Interesting facts about the bird accompany each poem in this National Outdoor Book Awards Honor Book.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–5—The daily activities of the Great Egret are described in verse and narrative. Stunning full-color photographs illustrate such topics as preening, plumes, flight, size, and nesting. For example, “On the Hunt/
What Do Egrets Eat?” informs readers that egrets are known as “ambush predators” that silently wait for their prey to come to them. This characteristic is poetically described as, “He is a world-class waiter,/Waiting (and wading)/In the muddied water/Till a shadow below/Lets him know that a fish/Is near. Then SPLISH-/SPLASH, that knife-sharp beak/breaks the surface/and brings back a surfeit:/Breakfast, lunch, dinner./Almost every strike a winner.” The accompanying three photographs show the bird wading, striking and splashing the water, and holding a captured fish in its beak. A two-page close-up of its feather illustrates the chapter on plumes, and the Great Egret’s large black feet are contrasted with the smaller golden feet of the Snowy Egret in text and art for the poem “Some Feet.” Every spread features an informative paragraph, a vivid poem, and photographs sparkling with glossy details.—
Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Organized from sunrise to sunset, this collection of poems and photographs presents the great egret, a striking-looking migratory bird. Each double-page spread offers a short poem, one or more photos of egrets in the wild, and a paragraph about some characteristic or behavior mentioned in the verse. For example, the poem “On the Hunt,” which portrays the egret as a predator, is accompanied by three photos that show a bird finding and catching a fish as well as a discussion of what egrets eat and how they catch their prey. Varied in form, the spare, well-crafted poems make excellent use of simile and metaphor, as in these lines (from “Great Egret”): “The Great Egret’s wings / are like fresh sheets / hung out upon a line; / its neck is a telescope; / beak as sharp and fine/ as a fisherman’s gutting knife.” The beautifully lit and composed photographs offer memorable images of the birds and their wetland habitat. Grades 3-6. –Carolyn Phelan

Review

“The spare, well-crafted poems make excellent use of simile and metaphor. . . . The beautifully lit and composed photographs offer memorable images of the birds and their wetland habitat.” –Booklist

* “A stunning combination of scientific and ecological knowledge offered through a graceful fusion of lyrical and visual media.” –Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About the Author

Jane Yolen is the author of more than three hundred books for children, young adults, and adults. She has received many awards for her writing, including the Regina Medal, the Society of Children’s Book Writers Award, and the Christopher Medal. She lives in St. Andrews, Scotland, and Hatfield, Massachusetts.

Jason Stemple is an award-winning photographer and has provided the pictures for numerous poetry books for young readers, including the acclaimed
Color Me a Rhyme,
Count Me a Rhyme, and
Shape Me a Rhyme, all writ