SCIENCE COMICS - Crows: Genius Birds by Kyla Vanderklugt, 122 pp. RL 4

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Science Comics  Crows: Genius Birds

by Kyla Vanderklugt

Review Copy from FirstSecond

Crows are fascinating. And entertaining. The same can be said for Science Comics! While I love comics, I don't always like reading about science (or history). This is the fourth in this series of twenty-one books  that I have reviewed (Dinosaurs, Coral Reefs and Volcanoes) always hooked by the storytelling aspect of these non-fiction books. In Crows: Genius Birds, Vanderklugt gets readers wanting to know more about these birds that are not always popular or even liked with Buddy, a playful dog who is befriended by a crow. While the crow coaxes Buddy out so that his friends can have a go at the dog's dinner (which is in the house, behind a doggie door and no obstacle for these genius birds...) the relationship proves to be mutually beneficial and engagingly educational.

Making their way through town looking for the best morsels of food to be found gives Crow the perfect opportunity to explain the many ways in which crows are intelligent, in some instances as smart as a five-year-old child! From recognizing colors, problem solving and mimicry to a multi-page exploration of the brain of the crow and what makes them intellectual powerhouses. As Crow shows Buddy his many talents, he references scientific research, including an experiment that John M. Marzluff, professor of Wildlife Sciences at the University of Washington and author of the introduction to Crows: Genius Birds, designed after the crows he tagged recognized him, making studying them difficult. The experiment is pretty cool, and yet another example of how amazing crows truly are.

Vanderklught does a phenomenal job creating a narrative that allows her to seamlessly incorporate science facts and, after learning all I did from her, has left me certain that there is so much more to learn about these fascinating animals! Her illustrations perfectly support the alternately playful and factual facets of the story and she even makes the gross parts awesome.

More Science Comics to love & learn from!!!



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