Song of the Redwing

The only fault to be had with this book is that it might be too old-fashioned to become a success. You'll see the obvious sarcasm in that sentence, of course, for old-fashioned (at least in the manner here) could never be a fault. With a gentle, lullaby-styled lope to her rhyming text, our author takes us from dawn to dusk and beyond in a marshland peppered with birds and other wildlife, all the while returning to the red-winged blackbird at the centre of our focus. And the engaging verse is only matched by the watercoloured artwork, that really succeeds in giving us a sense of place, life, and all that the book needed. Here the animals and birds have character, the water-edge plant-life has texture, and the landscape gives its own atmosphere by dint of not knowing where water should end and land or sky begin. I'd raise an eyebrow to the end-matter, where post-scripts are a bit too personal, and an attempt at educational notes doesn't begin to cover all the biological subjects of the heart of the book, but I'd raise a glass to the success of everything else. I hope it does find a market for its quiet, old-fashioned classiness. Four and a half stars.

I loved this book and the soft illustrations are stunningly beautiful.

I read the book in the evening this week and my daughter loved the illustrations and I loved the words. It is a book that I think could be treasured by both young and old and it is a book I can read with my daughter time and time again and she will always see new things and she could grow up with a book like this.

There were a few pages where the text was over a similar colour image and it didn’t stand out so well but I could live with that and it was still readable but didn’t stand out so much and that is my own slight criticism with the book.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, the images and lovely verses are perfect – very highly recommended!

Song of the Redwing
by Tish McFadden, Illustrated by Laura Winslow
A beautiful story of nature and the day and the life of the shores of the local pond. This book is beautifully illustrated with water color paintings with hidden pictures and more detail that would enhance any library or school classroom. The book shows much about the ecology of the nature and what the animals and insects do, how they live, how they eat, or even how they spend their time. Beautiful just beautiful

Such a beautiful book! This is one that I will definitely be buying for god-children. The art work is beautiful - even though I was only reading this on my Kindle, the colours and layers leapt out. In a physical book, they would be stunning.

The book is full of nature and a perfect introduction to marshland wildlife -the author's love of nature sings out - and it is a perfect antidote if you are tired of wall to wall cartoon characters. Being in the UK, I've never seen a red-winged blackbird - they are not native here. But there are many other marshland residents in the book that are know to us in Britain.

The poetry with its rhyming couplets is perfect for engaging a younger child, because we all know how young children quickly learn to imitate and join in. Older children will also enjoy this book because of the information panels for the wildlife that can be found on the marsh.

All in all, a beautiful read.

What a beautiful book about nature as seen through the eyes of a Redwing! Just a lovely little book. The illustrations by Laura Winslow are beautiful! They look like watercolor. They compliment the story so well@ The story is told in rhyme, so may be a good book to introduce children to poetry.

This is a beautiful book, perfect for sharing with young children. The exquisite illustrations and the accompanying poem bring the wetlands to life. I can imagine this book being read repeatedly, there is so much to discuss and enjoy.
Thank you to Tish McFadden, Laura Winslow, Net Galley and Black Rose Writing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Song of the Redwing is less of a picture book and more like an ode to the creatures that live in the wetlands. McFadden's text could have been a narration of early morning walks I take in Florida (minus the beaver; I'd have to drive further north for that). However, it is Winslow's illustrations that mesmerize. They will make the price of the book worth it.

While I was reading this book, I realized that my husband was also reading it with me. This is a rare occasion cause he usually plays games. When I asked him what made him read it, he told me that he could not take his eyes from the illustrations. And I agree. This is a lovely book, and it made me want to gear up and look at nature.

What an immensely beautiful children’s book. The watercolour illustrations really grab your attention, as well as the beautiful prose. Follow along with Redwing through their day and all the animals and creatures they come across. Features interesting facts about the marsh at the end of the book. My sons just loved learning about the marsh, and enjoyed the catchy rhymes. The watercolour was more for my enjoyment.

Thank you Netgalley and Black Rose writing for a digital review copy.

What a treasure! Preschool teachers, parents, and caregivers for young children will find poetry that rolls off the reader's tongue, introducing complex language and grammar with comfortable ease. I know a three year old who would love trying out words like "recede," "iridescent," and "sashay!"

The accessible, complex language is paired with beautiful watercolor illustrations. Beads of water sparkle on a spider's web, the waterlilies float on shimmery green water, and the sky darkens to a dusky purple-blue by evening. Each page beckons the reader to linger a while, making this long-ish picture book something that will work with even the youngest preschool-aged children in a quiet, peaceful setting.

This is an absolute gem of a book! Many thanks to NetGalley, Black Rose Printing, and the author and illustrator for giving me a free e-copy for review.

I highly recommend this book for your classroom. This book goes through a day in the life of the animals that live in the wetlands. It starts with the Redwing bird waking up and taking flight at sunrise to its flight home before sunset.
Beautifully written in verse form, the author describes the animals that can be found in the wetlands. As an educator, I would use this book to teach animal adaptations in science. It is also a great example of verse and could easily tie into a language arts lesson. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and add so much to the book.

~ Thanks to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review ~

*Please note that this review was delayed due to a period of health complications

"Song of the Redwing: Voice of the Wetlands" is the sort of book I would have loved as a child. I've always had a bit of a complicated relationship with the outside, because as much as I love the look of it, the bugs, poop, and everything else would always deter me. It was books like these that would make me try to push past my comfort zone and I truly believe that "Song of the Redwing" might do the same for those who are children now. Those illustrations are so gorgeous, I couldn't take my eyes off them. The narration was also well done, with its rhyme and rhythm balancing out the insane amount of information about all of the wetland creatures. I can see this book being interesting for children anywhere between the ages of 5 to 9, and possibly older if they become intrigued by the natural world around them. I know I learned about some animals I'd never heard of through "Song of the Redwing." The vocabulary in some parts may be a bit intimidating for parents and children alike, but I think that this would be a good opportunity to bond through learning. I'm 100% going to be recommending this to my friends for any existing and future children that they may have.

I loved the book, the rhymes, and the illustrations. It's a great way to teach kids about wildlife and the environment.

I received a free copy of this book from Black Rose Writing via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

This children's book contains a poem which is told from the prespective of the titular red-winged blackbird and it's about the wetland it lives in and all the other living beings that live there too.

It is a simple premise, and the story will keep the reader's interest.
As someone who is not a native english speaker and also sometimes gets bored while reading poetry, seeing the poem alongside illustrations that correspond with the text was a great help for me.

Speaking of the illustrations, oh my god, they were, as I often like to say, out of this damn world! They were done by hand, using watercolour, a technique I like seeing in books that I read and I feel sometimes is overlooked because it takes too much time (this is not meant to undermine other illustration techniques.) And besides being very beautiful, they also made me feel like I was there, in the wetlands.

Something I would also like to mention, is that in other reviews, I have heard other people saying that the words used in this book are too complicated for a kid between the ages of 3 to 6, and I would agree but that is only if they read by themselves, without someone to explain what those animals are.

As a kindergarten teacher, I would use this book to spark the kids' interest about nature and the animals that are mentioned in it. Imagine how many new things they can be taught through this. Even I found myself googling the names of the animals and plants I wasn't familiar with and reading more about them. And that seems fitting, when you come to think that both the author and the illustrator grew with mothers who adored being outdoors, exploring it and making art about it, and they passed their love for it down to their daughters. It's like a never-ending circle.

A beautifully illustrated picture book written about a marshland seen through the eyes of a redwing black bird. The lyrical writing and illustrations covers a 24 hour time period. As the bird sees different scenes at different times, there is an explanation about the animals seen. It is a book that can be enjoyed by any age — young or old.
It is a delightful book!

This is an amazing, classy children's book. My daughter and I really loved it. It is a beautifully illustrated book about birds, insects, animals and nature in a marsh, seen through the eyes of a red winged blackbird. The story is told in rhyme and the graphics are wonderful, unique and very professional. It is really interesting and fun. This would be a great book to have in a nursery or school as it is educational. I highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.