Imatge de l'autor

Sneed B. Collard

Autor/a de Animal Dads

89 obres 3,401 Membres 121 Ressenyes 2 preferits

Sobre l'autor

Crèdit de la imatge: Photo by Amy Ratzlaf

Obres de Sneed B. Collard

Animal Dads (1997) 721 exemplars
Creepy Creatures (1993) 255 exemplars
Beaks! (2002) 223 exemplars
Teeth (2008) 197 exemplars
The Forest in the Clouds (2000) 148 exemplars
A Platypus, Probably (2005) 114 exemplars
Double Eagle (2009) 92 exemplars
One Night in the Coral Sea (2005) 75 exemplars
The Deep-Sea Floor (2003) 73 exemplars
Wings (1648) 66 exemplars
Butterfly Count (2002) 62 exemplars
Animals Asleep (2004) 53 exemplars
Many Biomes, One Earth (2009) 51 exemplars
Making Animal Babies (2000) 50 exemplars
California Fire 47 exemplars
Dog Sense (2005) 47 exemplars
Leaving Home (2002) 44 exemplars
Flash Point (2006) 41 exemplars
1,000 Years Ago on Planet Earth (1999) 40 exemplars
Hopping Ahead of Climate Change (2016) 30 exemplars
Reign of the Sea Dragons (1800) 29 exemplars
Fire Birds (2015) 24 exemplars
Sea Snakes (1890) 13 exemplars
Border Crossings (2023) 11 exemplars
Waiting for a Warbler (2021) 8 exemplars
Birds of Every Color (2019) 5 exemplars
Dog 4491 (2013) 2 exemplars
Sitting Bull "Tatanka Iyotake" (2010) 1 exemplars

Etiquetat

Coneixement comú

Data de naixement
1959-11-07
Gènere
male
Nacionalitat
USA
Lloc de naixement
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Llocs de residència
Montana, USA
Educació
University of California, Berkeley (BA), University of California, Santa Barbara (MS)
Professions
writer
speaker
Premis i honors
Washington PostChildren's Book Guild Children's Nonfiction Writer of the Year Award (2006)
AAAS/Subaru/Science Books & Films Prize for Excellence in Science Books (2006)
Biografia breu
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Sneed grew up in Santa Barbara, CA. After his parents divorced, he split his time between Santa Barbara, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and Pensacola, Florida, where his biologist father lived. His love of travel and biology have guided his career. He graduated with Honors in marine biology from Berkeley, but immediately launched his writing career. His first thirty or so books all focused on science and the environment, and he traveled widely to research them. More recently, he's focused his efforts on fiction. His newest, Double Eagle, is a thriller inspired by a summer he spent with his father on Dauphin Island, Alabama.

Sneed Collard's first book,Sea Snakes, was published in 1993, and since then he has published over forty-five books for children, including the award winning A Platypus, Probably; Beaks!; Animal Dads;One Night in the Coral Sea; and The Prairie Builders Reconstructing America's Lost Grasslands, winner of 2006 AAAS/Subaru/Science Books & Films Prize for Excellence in Science Books.

Membres

Ressenyes

I had seen Warblers & Woodpeckers listed on a bookseller website so it was on my radar when I happened across a copy. I have a thing for bird books, and over time started reading Big Year type bird stories which was why I picked this one up. But this wasn't what I expected at all. Generally Big Year birders tend to be fairly hardcore, and almost all having had considerable time under the belt spent birding; years and years and years often being the case. It is sort of like how you wouldn't expect to find a non-swimmer attempting to swim the English Channel, or a non-sailor attempting a solo around the world voyage.

Long story short, this is more about neophyte birders than it is a Big Year. It is also a father and son story. Collard doesn’t claim any different, but it is more a small big year than your typical Big Year tale.

It is lightweight and a good enough read. I was hooked in the first few pages, the first chapter which was hysterical, but then things dropped off and remained fairly staid throughout. But it is also a short book so it isn't too much work.

As I briefly touched on above, neither father nor son are significantly into birding in any way; however, that does change. The journey itself is a result of having watched the movie The Big Year starring Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin. It's kind of like having watched the Clint Eastwood movie The Eiger Sanction, and then deciding that you are going to climb Mount Everest without ever having strapped on hiking boots let alone a backpack. Well, maybe not as bad as the extreme examples I listed, but along those lines.

In any case, father and son have an enjoyable year chasing and learning about birds in a handful of places in the US, and also squeeze in a side trip to the Galapagos (not counting those birds on their Big Year for some reason). There are some good insights, and the Collards are definitely kindred spirits.

One thing in particular jumped out at me; one of the primary hazards of birding is noise pollution which the Collards quickly found out (and duly noted):

"We slogged through the snow, trying to locate birds by sound, but a serious drawback to the location was that cars from nearby Highway 12 assaulted us with a steady stream of noise pollution - mostly from rigs pulling snowmobiles up to Lolo Pass."

[And at Placid Lake, looking for loons] "The woman directed us to a small parking area a couple of miles up the lakeshore, but the loons hadn't gotten the message to meet us there. What we did find were dozens of off-road vehicles, motorboats, and jet-skis roaring around and across the lake."

"'Why would you come out to this beautiful spot to thrash around on your gas-powered vehicles when you can enjoy just as much noise and craziness back in the city?' I said to the boys."

[He also succinctly summed up the problem (with most of the people on the planet).]

"It was a rhetorical question. Even at Braden's age I had never fathomed this concept of 'escaping town' only to make your camping experience as crazy, hectic, and noisy as your everyday life. Yet, more than ever, that was what millions of Americans considered to be the perfect vacation."

"Maybe I'm just not a good American."

[Yep, I've said the same a million or two times myself.]
… (més)
 
Marcat
Picathartes | Hi ha 1 ressenya més | Dec 26, 2023 |
Synergy: BORDER BARRIER

A border barrier is a fence, wall, or other structure intended to stop movement between two spaces such as countries. They are designed for defense or to prevent illegal activities such as immigration and smuggling. Unintended consequences of these structures include limiting the natural movement of wildlife.

Read the recently published nonfiction picture books for children, then learn more at the websites:

BORDER CROSSINGS written by Sneed B. Collard II and illustrated by Howard Gray shares the story of how wildlife are impacted by the US-Mexico border wall. Specifically, the powerful picture book follows endangered ocelots who attempt to cross the border. ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge.

OCELOT from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance provides useful background information about the endangered ocelot. To read the web page, go to https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/ocelot.

THE RIVER AND THE WALL is a full-length documentary following five friends who document wildlife migration and immigration issues along the US-Mexico border. Use this video to better understand the issues as you read the suggested picture book with children. To view the documentary, go to https://youtu.be/3TK4oMtSJfI
… (més)
 
Marcat
eduscapes | Hi ha 2 ressenyes més | Mar 27, 2023 |
Lots of great information in engaging prose with rich illustrations and backmatter including an Author's Note, Glossary, and Further Reading.
 
Marcat
bookwren | Hi ha 2 ressenyes més | Feb 18, 2023 |

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Estadístiques

Obres
89
Membres
3,401
Popularitat
#7,497
Valoració
4.2
Ressenyes
121
ISBN
222
Llengües
1
Preferit
2

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