Non-Fiction — Review

I Found a Dead Bird:
The Kids’ Guide to the Cycle of Life & Death

by Jan Thornhill
Maple Tree Press, 2006
ISBN 1-897066-71-6 (softcover)
ISBN 1-897066-70-8 (hardcover)
$12.95/$21.95, 64 pp, colour
www.mapletreepress.com

This comprehensive book explores life and death for young readers, answering common questions and linking the sadness of death to the normality of lifespans for all living things. The author explores concepts such as the length of life for different organisms, what animals eat to stay alive (sometimes other animals), how animals die, what happens after death, grieving, and funeral customs. The life and death of humans is put into perspective as part of the normal cycle of life in an intelligent and sensitive way. The book is colourful, with a dynamic lay-out and bites of information juxtaposed with numerous photographs. Selected parts of the text could be read aloud to begin discussions, but the book could also be made available for children to explore on their own. Available in hard and soft cover editions.

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