The Hummingbird Book and Feeders

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Those skeptical about book-and-object packaged sets will be pleasantly
surprised by The Hummingbird Book and Feeders, for it offers both
excellent content and good value. The set’s small book is jam-packed
with fascinating, useful information about these amazing birds.

Divided into five sections, the text is generously illustrated with
full-color photographs, illustrations, and diagrams. Approximately half
of the book consists of the author’s factual material about
hummingbirds, and this material is organized into 10 subsections that
include “Hovering Flight,” “Migration,” and “Torpor.” Trivia
fans will delight in the “Did You Know?” boxes found throughout this
opening segment. The contents of the remaining four sections are more
hands-on. “Your Hummingbird Feeders” details how to create the
“nectar” used to fill the four feeders that are part of the package.
How to fill, set up, and clean the feeders is also clearly explained.
“Hummingbird Projects” invites readers to record the birds’ annual
arrival, provide nesting materials, observe how hummingbirds control
their temperature, and plant a hummingbird-attracting garden. “Feeder
Experiments” suggests three experiments that readers can perform to
ascertain if hummingbirds can learn, have a favorite color, or have a
preference regarding a nectar’s sweetness. Unfortunately, readers may
be discouraged from undertaking the experiments because the
“answers” are provided immediately following the directions. The
final section is a “field guide” to hummingbirds found in North
America.

Obviously more a home than an institutional purchase, The Hummingbird
Book and Feeders will appeal to children and adults, and should not be
overlooked by those working with youth groups. Highly recommended.