Super Swifts: Small Birds with Amazing Powers by Justin Anderson (review)

Reviewed by: Super Swifts: Small Birds with Amazing Powers by Justin Anderson Kate Quealy-Gainer Anderson, Justin Super Swifts: Small Birds with Amazing Powers; illus. by Clover Robin. Candlewick, 2024 32p Trade ed. ISBN 9781536231489 18. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 6-8 Aiming to make it to her nesting ground in Europe before summer, a female swift departs from the jungles of central Africa in April. The journey is long and challenging—she'll be covering nearly 500 miles per day, crossing the hot sands of the Sahara Desert, and contending with mercurial weather in France, all while staying on the path to her ultimate destination in Britain. Finally arriving, she reunites with her mate—swifts mate for life—and soon lays three eggs in a nesting box put out for them. By July, the babies have hatched, fed, and learned to fly, and the family returns to central Africa. The book's layout makes the swifts' journey especially comprehensive, as the main, sequential narrative follows the bird and is laid out in bold, larger text, while further details and interesting tidbits of info are elaborated upon in smaller font. The structure encourages both in-depth reading and browsing, allowing readers to pick and choose how they engage; the additional info is packed with kid appeal, from the subplot of a louse tagging along with the swift to the swifts' amazing abilities to sleep and drink while flying. The mixed media End Page 350 art has a collage-like style that brings dimensionality and depth, while dappled and brushlike textures match the birds' movement and energy. For aspiring ornithologists not yet ready for Hoose's Moonbird (BCCB 9/12) or Duet (BCCB 9/22), this avian tale will make a fine introduction to bird migration. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois