The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound

The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound: A Birder’s Journal

Written by Sallie Wolf

Designed by Micah Bornstein

Published by Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.

Copyright 2010

48 pages

Poetry

The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound is about different types of birds. It is a birdwatching journal written in poems, rather than paragraphs. The author listed which birds are seen during which seasons in the book. The author wrote some poems in the book about birds that are not well-known. The author included some of her observations about birds in the book.

Sallie Wolf illustrated her journal using watercolors, pens, and ink. Micah Bornstein worked with the author’s illustrations in Photoshop to design the book. The design of the book makes it seem more scientific, but the hand-drawn illustrations keep the book from being too formal. The duller tones of the colors add to the scientific feeling of the book. The contrast between computer-generated design and hand-drawn illustrations complement each other in the book.

            This book could be used in a fourth or fifth grade classroom. Students in earlier grades would not be interested in the duller colored pictures. This book could be used for a science lesson to introduce different types of birds. This book could be used for a writing lesson. Students could think of different ways to write a journal without using paragraphs. This book could also be used for another science lesson. Students could research which birds are found in their area during different seasons. This book won an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students award from the NSTA/CBC.