Is This Panama?: A Migration Story

K-Gr 2—Sammy is a young Wilson's warbler, a bird that lives near the Arctic Circle. He knows that when it gets cold, it is time to fly south to Panama. However, he has somehow missed the other warblers' departure. Making the journey on his own, Sammy learns about several animals that migrate, including caribou, garter snakes, monarch butterflies, and humpback whales. Sammy's confusion allows for a broader discussion of migration as the animals tell him how they use scents, food availability, landmarks, the stars, and other signs from nature to tell them where to go. The logic breaks down, however, because Sammy does not know what to do. The back matter says, "Songbirds don't need to be shown the way because they have their migration routes hardwired into their brains at birth." If that is true, why is Sammy an exception? A map shows the warblers' regular route versus Sammy's circuitous one. No scientific sources are listed in the book, although the explanations provided match up with other sources consulted. Delicate, three-dimensional illustrations combine natural materials, sketching, and painting. Pieces appear to be constructed, then cut out and arranged to create the complete image. The pages are beautifully composed to capture the scale of the animals with Sammy providing perspective. Teachers and other adults should be prepared to offer nonfiction migration books to expand on the scientific elements presented in the story.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA