What do you think?
Rate this book
Birdsongs
The sky is quiet.
The yard is quiet.
The creek is quietly gurgling.
Then... tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat! A red-capped woodpecker starts his rap for the day. Next comes nine soft coos from the mourning doves, followed by the chipping of a flurry of sparrows. And on go the birdsongs throughout the day.
Celebrate neighborhood birds in this poetic picture book, and count their sounds backward from ten to one, until all is quiet in the yard again.
The yard is quiet.
The creek is quietly gurgling.
Then... tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat, tat! A red-capped woodpecker starts his rap for the day. Next comes nine soft coos from the mourning doves, followed by the chipping of a flurry of sparrows. And on go the birdsongs throughout the day.
Celebrate neighborhood birds in this poetic picture book, and count their sounds backward from ten to one, until all is quiet in the yard again.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 9, 2007
About the author
Betsy Franco
153 books39 followersBetsy Franco has published more than eighty books, including three previous anthologies. She lives in Palo Alto, California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
November 23, 2019
Although Betsy Franco’s Birdsongs would likely work well enough as a backwards counting book (basically using the diverse bird calls presented to practice subtraction in a fun and onomatopoeic celebration of the former), considering the rather advanced vocabulary the author has generally used to textually describe both the birds and their behaviours, I do have to question if there might not be a bit of a sense of disconnect between the intended audience (between young children learning and practicing their numbers) and what Betsy Franco has actually penned in Birdsongs (as really, the counting part in my opinion does feel a bit too simple and basic for the type of child audience who would be familiar with either the bird names themselves or with their general actions and behaviours).
And while I certainly have like usual very much for the most part aesthetically enjoyed Steve Jenkins’ accompanying artwork for Birdsongs (it being both realistic and colourfully imaginative, except that visually I have personally found his illustration of that seagull rather too in one’s face and even potentially frightening for very sensitive children and that yes, the depicted cat in the scene with the chickadees does not at all look like a tabby), I cannot really say that in Birdsongs, the combination of text and images has been all that successfully achieved, in so far that albeit I generally both appreciate and have certainly enjoyed Steve Jenkins’ pictures, Betsy Franco’s text really does leave much to be desired, really does feel as though it does not know whether it is meant for very young (like the counting book format and onomatopoeic birdsongs seem to indicate) or for older children (since to and for me, the advanced vocabulary and bird species names of Birdsongs do not at all feel like a simple counting book). And as such, I also have to wonder that if one were actually using Birdsongs for counting and subtraction practice with very young children, whether there might indeed be vocabulary comprehension issues and the author’s presented narrative being just a bit too involved and complex to be used without there being questions and the need for supplemental explanations.
And while I certainly have like usual very much for the most part aesthetically enjoyed Steve Jenkins’ accompanying artwork for Birdsongs (it being both realistic and colourfully imaginative, except that visually I have personally found his illustration of that seagull rather too in one’s face and even potentially frightening for very sensitive children and that yes, the depicted cat in the scene with the chickadees does not at all look like a tabby), I cannot really say that in Birdsongs, the combination of text and images has been all that successfully achieved, in so far that albeit I generally both appreciate and have certainly enjoyed Steve Jenkins’ pictures, Betsy Franco’s text really does leave much to be desired, really does feel as though it does not know whether it is meant for very young (like the counting book format and onomatopoeic birdsongs seem to indicate) or for older children (since to and for me, the advanced vocabulary and bird species names of Birdsongs do not at all feel like a simple counting book). And as such, I also have to wonder that if one were actually using Birdsongs for counting and subtraction practice with very young children, whether there might indeed be vocabulary comprehension issues and the author’s presented narrative being just a bit too involved and complex to be used without there being questions and the need for supplemental explanations.
April 18, 2018
Nice way to introduce a day of birding and introduce eleven common bird species. It was good to end with the mockingbird which often sings in the evening. Steve Jenkins always does good to excellent illustrations and those in this title are collages. However, the tabby cat stalking some birds didn’t look much like a tabby in my eyes.
October 30, 2017
This is a very good book about birds and their song. Not too over whelming for the beginner bird watcher. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Ellie read this to us during morning time...krb 10/30/17
May 3, 2012
A short, simple book about different birdsongs. There is a counting aspect to it, which I essentially overlooked as I read it aloud to my kindergarteners. We focused on the different birdsongs, and it was enjoyed interactively. I don't think I would enjoy it as much as a counting book. The illustrations were clear and nice, in Jenkins' style. Focused primarily on backyard birds, which I appreciated for use with my kindergarteners.
May 16, 2014
Notes:
not a fan of the counting aspect of this book -- we read it without the numbers and liked it better; gorgoeus art; fun ending with the mockingbird
not a fan of the counting aspect of this book -- we read it without the numbers and liked it better; gorgoeus art; fun ending with the mockingbird
March 27, 2017
Birds and their sounds.
November 2, 2019
I really wanted to like this one much more than I did. It had all the elements I enjoy in a good storybook: nature theme, counting, onamatpeia, complex but attractive illustrations. But, something just felt awkward and forced about it. I rounded up for the illustrations, but still must say - that is no tabby cat!
May 9, 2020
Read at preschool story time on 2/8/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...
Read during pre-K class visits on 2/20/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...
Read during Kindergarten class visit on 2/22/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...
Read at Summer Camp Story Time on 7/10/15: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...
Read at a flying-themed family story time at my house on 8/2/19: https://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com...
Read during pre-K class visits on 2/20/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...
Read during Kindergarten class visit on 2/22/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...
Read at Summer Camp Story Time on 7/10/15: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...
Read at a flying-themed family story time at my house on 8/2/19: https://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com...
May 30, 2017
Hmmm...not sure why I didn't like this one. On the surface, it had all the elements to be a good storytime choice for my unit on birds, but it didn't work for me at all. The story itself was minimal but fine, and the counting element was a good inclusion. I think part of the issue for me might have been the presentation of the bird songs. The calls aren't all very easy to pronounce, and they aren't spaced well within the text, so it's awkward to figure out when to say them. Not a bad book, really. It just didn't work for me.
April 25, 2015
Onomatopoeia and animals, a natural combination. In addition, this is a reverse counting book. Beautiful!!
October 26, 2017
my little one loves all things having to do with animals and nature so this was perfect. she loved imitating all the sounds of each bird and even remembered them as we went back through the book to read again. It was fun teaching her the names of each bird.
Shelved as 'library-priority'
July 3, 2021As my eyes go, I need to learn to use my ears more. I know so very few birds by their songs... and their songs often vary enough across their range that it's hard to learn them. (House wren, cardinal, etc...) This might get me past mourning dove and California quail, anyway.
August 28, 2023
From ten 'tats' to one "tzik', Betsy Franco shares ten birds and their calls and Steve Jenkins' illustrations show the beauty of each. If you're studying birds, put this one in your stack with others. Then, so outside and listen!
February 15, 2017
Counting book, cycle of the day book, introduction to different birds and their calls.
September 22, 2017
My boys love animals and read this in the car eating our CFA one day.
January 19, 2018
Loved this book, 4 month old child enjoyed hearing the different bird calls. Sweet children's book.
April 24, 2018
A really fun book about birds and the songs they sing!
July 28, 2018
A delightful celebration of the world of backyard birds, featuring Jenkins's instantly recognizable illustration style. Theme include bird recognition, sounds, and counting.
April 23, 2019
This beautifully illustrated book leads the reader through the birdsongs, and counting 1 - 10.
December 27, 2019
Counting book. Counts down the day with birds and their songs.
February 10, 2020
Felt like a Lois Ehlert illustration. Lovely. Chick a Dee Dee Dee!
April 11, 2021
A sweet book about birds and the songs they make. Great for preschoolers.
March 22, 2022
A fun counting book about bird sounds/songs. I wish it had Elliot’s favorite bird, the cardinal, but it was still a great one
March 7, 2023
this book teaches the proper names for birds, along with using onomatopoeia to teach the birdsongs, and also teaches counting backwards from ten!
September 1, 2023
We love a bird book over here.
August 14, 2024
Would be great to share in a storytime, or just a few pages to introduce various birds.
Themes: birds, song, nature
Ages: toddler-all ages
Pub year: 2007
Themes: birds, song, nature
Ages: toddler-all ages
Pub year: 2007
April 22, 2012
This book does an excellent job of showing students how to use their writing voice in order to display sound effects. All of the bird's noises are written in large words in order to display how loud they actually are. This book could be used in a writing workshop that focuses upon how writers can use voice in their writing to display different types of noises or words that need to be read loudly while reading.
This book could be used as an introductory tool to teach more about birds because it introduces many different types. This could be used at the beginning of a bird unit in order to get students excited about learning about different types of birds. I would use this more often with students that are in the younger grades because it is an easier book to understand, and it would be an excellent tool for those younger students that have not heard of many kinds of birds before. This book could also be used to introduce the topic of the sun rising and setting because at the beginning of the book, the sun is rising. At the end of the book, the sun is setting.
This book could also be used for math in the younger grades because it counts down from ten. It counts how many times the bird says its sound. The numbers count down until the sun goes down. This book could be used when getting students to think about counting backwards and forwards, especially when this is a new concept for students.
This book could be used as an introductory tool to teach more about birds because it introduces many different types. This could be used at the beginning of a bird unit in order to get students excited about learning about different types of birds. I would use this more often with students that are in the younger grades because it is an easier book to understand, and it would be an excellent tool for those younger students that have not heard of many kinds of birds before. This book could also be used to introduce the topic of the sun rising and setting because at the beginning of the book, the sun is rising. At the end of the book, the sun is setting.
This book could also be used for math in the younger grades because it counts down from ten. It counts how many times the bird says its sound. The numbers count down until the sun goes down. This book could be used when getting students to think about counting backwards and forwards, especially when this is a new concept for students.
February 4, 2009
Birdsongs by Betty Franco and illustrated by Steve Jenkins is a delightful children's book that's takes a typical counting book and mixes with with some basic ornithology along with the story of an approaching storm.
Each page marks the passage of time with a new bird and a new bird song. There are crows, chickadees, morning doves, sea gulls and a humming bird among others. Harriet loves the way different birdsongs are counted all the way down to the single humming bird zzzt. She likes the make the different birdsongs and point out the birds.
Sean meanwhile likes Steve Jenkins's illustrations. Jenkins builds each illustration with carefully cut and layered bits of paper. These collages have a nice sense of texture and depth.
Birdsongs is a perfect bedtime story. It's soothing and rhythmic and easy to read. It keeps the attention of both my two-year-old and my six-year-old which is crucial for our nightly routine.
Each page marks the passage of time with a new bird and a new bird song. There are crows, chickadees, morning doves, sea gulls and a humming bird among others. Harriet loves the way different birdsongs are counted all the way down to the single humming bird zzzt. She likes the make the different birdsongs and point out the birds.
Sean meanwhile likes Steve Jenkins's illustrations. Jenkins builds each illustration with carefully cut and layered bits of paper. These collages have a nice sense of texture and depth.
Birdsongs is a perfect bedtime story. It's soothing and rhythmic and easy to read. It keeps the attention of both my two-year-old and my six-year-old which is crucial for our nightly routine.
September 20, 2014
Franco, B. (2007) Birdsongs. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Counting Book
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
This book takes the reader through a day with various types of birds while learning to count backwards. The book counts out how many calls each individual bird makes throughout the day as each of the species communicates with one another. Not only does this book teach students how to count backwards but it also provides information about each bird to expand their learning experience. The images are beautifully done by Steve Jenkins. From the appearance it looks as though the pictures are made from different paper pictures glued to a background scene. I would use this book to show students how you can count backwards in various ways. For instance this book counts through bird calls. I think it would be a fun idea to have students voice the bird calls while counting on their fingers.
Counting Book
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
This book takes the reader through a day with various types of birds while learning to count backwards. The book counts out how many calls each individual bird makes throughout the day as each of the species communicates with one another. Not only does this book teach students how to count backwards but it also provides information about each bird to expand their learning experience. The images are beautifully done by Steve Jenkins. From the appearance it looks as though the pictures are made from different paper pictures glued to a background scene. I would use this book to show students how you can count backwards in various ways. For instance this book counts through bird calls. I think it would be a fun idea to have students voice the bird calls while counting on their fingers.
November 6, 2014
This is one of our favorite books of late. It's a reverse counting book, and it's the best kind of counting book because neither parent nor child really notices the counting. The book begins at dawn, and page by page all the birds wake up and make their bird noises (10 woodpecker taps, 9 dove coos, etc). The cut paper illustrations are beautiful and very accurate: my 4 year old delights in recognizing birds outside that he's seen in the book. We also have a great time making the bird sounds together which, thank goodness, are phonetic. A white gull goes "eeyah!" and the hummingbird does a high pitched "tzik." Belly laughs at the end when the mockingbird makes all the sounds and we go crazy trying to outdo each other. Thumbs up!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews