Product Description

A hilarious tribute to state birds!

Welcome to the United Tweets Pageant! This colorful parade of state birds competing to be Top Tweet will have readers of all ages laughing aloud. From Alabama’s Yellowhammer to Wyoming’s Western Meadowlark, each bird is a winner—and each bird loves to show off the state it calls home. Hudson Talbott has created an inspired introduction to states and their birds. His vibrant, detailed illustrations infuse the birds’ interactions with energy and humor, making this a great way to spark kids’ interest in United States history, geography, and, of course, wildlife!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #206222 in Books
• Brand: Penguin Group
• Published on: 2008-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780399245206
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 2–5—Gather all of your chuckle-bellied trivia snatchers for a rollicking romp through the states. Talbott has created wisecrack-filled cartoons featuring birds in competition for the "United Tweets of America Pageant." Each avian contestant has one page to flaunt its stuff and introduce its state—unless you count the cardinal from Indiana that pecks through the back of his page to ruffle feathers in Illinois. The cartoons range from a scenic and graceful tree full of purple finches in a snowy village in Vermont to a manic pelican with a mouthful of loot in Louisiana. There's plenty to make children laugh: Annoyed by Delaware's Blue Hen Chicken on the facing page, Connecticut's American Robin sings, "Yankee Doodle went to town,/followed by a chicken,/if that bird won't shut his beak,/he's gonna get a lickin'." There's also plenty to amuse adults that may fly over children's heads: "Nevada produces the most gold of any state, but California already won the title of the Golden State, so Nevada settled for the silver. (The bronze went to Romania.)" Not to be confused with a reference book, this title does not provide the same type of information for each state. Each page dependably names the state bird and capital, shows a small shape map of the state, and gives its nickname. After that, it's a free-for-all. Ending with a fractured version of "America the Beautiful," it must be said, this book is a hoot.—Ellen Heath, Easton Area Public Library, Easton, PA
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From Booklist
In this sly, comic, and irreverent book, loaded with hilarious puns and parodies about our 50 state birds, words and images deliver bits of history, folklore, and geography about each state. Young grade-schoolers probably won’t understand all the humor (the illustration of Iowa’s American goldfinch shows two of the birds dressed up like the folks in Grant Wood’s American Gothic; Washington state’s goldfinch is said to sound like “dot-com-dot-com-dot-com”). But many will enjoy the images of the Baltimore oriole in a baseball cap throwing a crab cake in Maryland, the American robin riding a Harley-Davidson in Wisconsin, and the mockingbird of Mississippi resembling Elvis with a mike. Talbott’s colored pencil and mixed-media illustrations ably combine the cartoon uproar with a sense of the individuality of the feathered creatures—as with the shy hermit thrush of Vermont singing musical notes that fill the sky. Clever, refreshing, and fun for individual reading and wonderful for classroom teachers. Grades 3-5. --Hazel Rochman

Review
It must be said, this book is a hoot. -- School Library Journal, starred review

[A] rollicking roll call of state fast facts...this lighthearted look...will be welcome. -- Kirkus

Customer Reviews

USEFUL FOR YOUR NEXT ROAD TRIP
This is a fun book that is loaded with "trivia" about each state.
It not only has the state birds, but capitol cities, state flowers, and
other state animals when they exist. Some states have lists of famous
people. The cheerful and often funny illustrations help identify
what each state has within it, like seaside, or farm land or whatever.

It could be useful in many ways for kids and their parents who like
maps, geography, travelling, etc.

Sweet Tweets
This is a wonderful book! I laughed as I read it. I purchased it for a friend who is a 5th grade teacher. Children will love to have this book read to them and older children can learn about our fifty state birds and other fun facts while enjoying the humor of Hudson Talbot. Acceptance, cooperation and diversity are showcased at the conclusion of The United Tweets of America Pageant. What a hoot of a book. Very highly recommend.

My nephew's new favorite book
I gave this book to my nephew at Thanksgiving. The book is in state by state format with great illustrations, lots of information and cheeky humor that kids will love. My seven year nephew loves referring back to it as he loves books in this format, and loves trivia. He even came off the school bus the other day with the book under his arm. It gives a lot of quick facts/info not just about state birds, but other things about the each state. Perfect for kids, but adults will enjoy it, too.