Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts

Saturday, August 9, 2025

10th August Skyscraper Appreciation Day




Skyscrapers are buildings where people can live and work. They are found in lots of big cities. Some skyscrapers have amazing views, record-breaking lift rides and even bridges in the sky. Skyscrapers are being built bigger and better every day!







Skyscraper Appreciation Day is held on 10th August, commemorated on the birthday of the architect named William Van Alen, who was the person behind the construction of one of New York City's most iconic landmarks - the Chrysler Building. 

On 3rd September it will be Skyscraper Day, celebrated on this date each year, as this is the anniversary of the birth of Louis H. Sullivan, the American architect who was influential in the world of building tall buildings and was even called the “father of skyscrapers”. Not sure why we need both days when they both appear to celebrate the same thing, the opportunity to learn more about the architects who commit a dream to paper and the construction crews that make it reality. 

The construction of tall buildings has become so commonplace in cities around the globe that the general public typically gives little thought to the visionaries who are responsible for creating a city’s unique skyline. 

Although the United States was the place where the tallest buildings started in cities like Chicago and New York, others around the world have taken up the design and building of these architectural wonders. 

In fact, today’s tallest building in the world, with 163 floors, is called the Burj Khalifa and is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.














It is surprising to see how many factual books there are about skyscrapers, ones for all reading abilities.




















  




















Often a skyscraper is the setting for a story too, so many of them about birds who make their home in a high-rise building.


San Francisco






New York






Brisbane





Melbourne







Thursday, June 20, 2024

23rd June Pink Flamingo Day




The first Pink Flamingo Day was declared in 2007 to honour the plastic lawn flamingo and its creator, Don Featherstone. 


Australian author Andy Geppert even included this lawn flamingo in his book Backyard Birdies.


While today, none of the species of flamingos are endangered, large populations that call the Rift Valley of Africa home, are rapidly shrinking and facing growing challenges. All species are facing shrinking habitats due to human encroachment and climate change. Read about these birds in a nonfiction book such as these:








And this one is coming and if it is like Abi Cushman's Wombats are Pretty Weird it will be lots of fun.





I haven't seen this book, and it is not really about flamingos but it fits in to any science unit on materials so I need to look for it.




I have written about flamingos before on this blog, but many new books featuring flamingos have arrived in the library since then.





There's also two beginning chapter book series that are popular:

Hotel Flamingo  by Alex Milway   and

Fabio the World's Greatest Flamingo Detective  by Laura James







And this title is one of the books from the Armadillo and Hare  series by Jeremy Strong.


Thursday, May 2, 2024

So They Build - Weaver birds and birds in general


 Image from  Animal Architecture  by Jurgen Tautz and Ingo Arndt


Did you know weaver birds can tie knots? Watch this video or this one.




I haven't got any books in the library that show photos like these. The images of weaver birds' nests that are on the computer are amazing. There are some books in the library that include weaver birds among other birds who also build nests. See

The Weaver Birds  by K.A. Mulenga

Mama Built a Little Nest  by Jennifer Ward and Steve Jenkins

• Bird Builds a Nest  by Martin Jenkins and Richard Jones

This is the Nest that Robin Built  by Denise Fleming

What's Inside a Bird's Nest? by Rachel Ignotofsky

The Nest that Wren Built  by Randi Sonenshine and Anne Hunter

Birds Build Nests by Yvonne Winer and Tony Oliver

Bird Nests  by Stacy Tornio

Funny Homes  by Mark Norman
















This is a page from A First Book of Animals by Nicola Davies and Petr Horacek
























This is a page from Nests Eggs Bird by Kelsey Oseid