Sparrow Loves Birds
Author: Murry Burgess
Illustrator: Tamisha Anthony
ISBN-13: 9780316307222
Copyright 2024
Grades: PreK-2
Sparrow – a brown-skinned, playful preschooler (with a strong resemblance to the author!) – sets out for a day of birding. She uses her strongest scientific tools – her own eyes, ears, and notebook – to watch and listen to the many types of birds around her. She begins to identify birds by:
- Color: Red – a cardinal!
- Song: “Cheer up! Cheer up”! – a robin!
- Movement: Flitting backward, forward, even upside down – a hummingbird!
Join Sparrow for a backyard adventure and witness a scientific investigation underway. Be sure to grab your own notebook and crayons, as readers and listeners are encouraged to look at, listen to, and learn about birds, recording their own observations along the way.
From the Author’s Binoculars
From supporting community science initiatives to studying the effects of light pollution on her feathered friends, author Murry Burgess is more than the sum of her parts. Part ornithologist, part nature enthusiast, and part doting dog mom, Burgess’ research is enhanced by her passion for accessibility, field safety, and inclusive nature. We had the chance to ask Burgess a few questions about Sparrow Loves Birds.
Murry Burgess, PhD
Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University
Associate Wildlife Biologist®
Co-Founder & CEO: Field Inclusive, Inc.
PLT: What inspired you to write Sparrow Loves Birds?
MB: I grew up in suburban neighborhoods, and my main exposure to wildlife was through TV shows and documentaries (as well as visits to zoos and aquariums). I would watch a show like The Crocodile Hunter then go into my backyard and pretend to narrate my own nature documentary as I observed birds, lizards, frogs, and butterflies. I knew I wanted to write a story about a little girl learning about wildlife by exploring her yard like I did at that age. I started writing Sparrow Loves Birds in late 2018, but I had put it on the backburner until after the first Black Birder’s Week in 2020. I realized how important representation is in birding and outdoor recreation and decided to push Sparrow forward.
PLT: Why did you decide on an early childhood book?
MB: I decided on an early childhood picture book because I wanted to target the age group that I was part of when I remember my own backyard adventures. I was always an avid reader, yet I never saw books about Black girls and wildlife. Additionally, I wanted to create an educational tool that is accessible for this age group, whether they are being read to or starting to read independently. I also wanted a book that would engage parents as well and encourage them to go backyard birding with their kids.
PLT: What are some of your STEM Teaching Tips for Sparrow Love Birds?
Burgess organizes her ideas for using this book for environmental education into the following categories:
- Visual Literacy – Take a closer look at the beautiful illustrations by Tamisha Anthony to search for clues about Sparrow and her interests. After reading the book, ask students to create their own drawings to depict their own unique interests. Share the drawings at circle time or send them home for continued conversation.
- Language & Movement – Sparrow takes care in watching how different birds move. The illustrations also serve to support visible bird movements such as, “hop, swoop, circle, waddle, zoom.” After reading each sentence aloud, conduct a call-and-response with each verb introduced. Then have students stand up and act out the verb while saying it aloud (saying “swoop!” as they mimic the illustration of sparrows in flight).
Onomatopoeia – A significant number of bird names derive from onomatopoeia. Use Cornell Lab’s Merlin Bird ID app to play the bird calls featured (crow, chickadee, towhee, tufted titmouse, etc.) Repeat the word used both before and after playing each bird call. Invite students to mimic what they hear. How are bird sounds similar to and different from the words used in the book?
- Bird Observation – Use Sparrow to introduce the field of ornithology, or the study of birds. Did you know you can observe birds without even going outside? Try making observations from a window in your own home or visit an open-access Bird Cam online, made possible by other ornithologists, such as the Audubon Society.
Artistic Expression – Ask learners, either individually, in pairs, or small groups, to identify a bird they would like to know more about. Work with your school or public librarian to curate a collection of nonfiction picture books about birds for further research. Work together to create portraits of the different birds profiled using available art supplies. Be sure to invite friends and families to tour your bird gallery.
The teaching tips presented here are short versions of Burgess’ brainpower and creativity. Be sure to check out her website for more details: https://www.mlburgess.org/
Give it a Try!
Try it for yourself! After a look around your own neighborhood, what are some birds you might be able to identify in much the same way as Sparrow?
- Color: ____________________________________
- Song: _____________________________________
- Movement: ________________________________
For help with bird identification, try a free and user-friendly app such as Cornell Lab’s Merlin Bird ID.
Pay it Forward
Sparrow Loves Birds is a great addition to any little learner’s library. Consider gifting one to a botanical garden, public library, zoo, daycare center, K-2 classroom, or other play place near you.
Here’s what one Environmental Education Specialist at North Carolina Botanical Garden has to say about it:
“Sparrow Loves Birds has a perfect mix of accurate science, a fun story, and diverse characters. In reading the story to summer camp groups, I have used the illustrations as a way for the campers to point out the different birds on each page and discuss which ones they have seen on hikes. The book engages multiple modalities, as children can hop like robins and sing like crows. To encourage budding birders, share how Sparrow studies birds with the additional resources provided at the end of the book.”
Lauren Greene, MEd & NC Certified Environmental Educator
Youth Environmental Education Specialist
North Carolina Botanical Garden
Companion PLT Activities
Sparrow Loves Birds is a great read-aloud to pair with these PLT resources:
Early Childhood
- Sounds Around from Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children: Children explore the sounds of nature (including birds!) and imitate them using their own voices and instruments that they make together.
- Home Tweet Home from Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children: Children discover how plants and animals – like birds – depend on trees.
Elementary
- Together for Birds: This activity collection offers an introduction to the natural world through the birds that happen to be just outside your door! Guide children in the exploration of the birds and other organisms that live nearby. In doing so, learners consider how habitat provides the food, water, shelter, and space these organisms need to live.
- Birds and Bugs from Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide: Children discover the value of protective coloration as they pretend to be birds in search of colored bugs.
Jackie Stallard
Jackie Stallard
