Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Maureen Schlosser

Summary of Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me

What does a bowerbird have in common with author/illustrator Susan L. Roth? It turns out a lot! In her story, Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me, Roth describes her art process in an interesting way. She explains that she creates art the same way bowerbirds build nests. Roth and bowerbirds love color. They collect unusual objects for their creations. Roth uses tweezers and her hands to manipulate materials. Bowerbirds use their beaks and claws.

Readers are going to love this idea of comparing oneself to an animal. Art lovers will appreciate the illustrations composed with different kinds of material. Curious readers will appreciate learning more about Roth and bowerbirds. The back matter will supply answers to their questions.

Double page spread found in the picture book Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me by Susan L. Roth. A bowerbird collects material with it's beak and claws while an artist uses her hands and scissors to work with materials.

Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me Activity

AASL Standards Framework for Learners: Explore/Think V.A.1 Learners develop and satisfy personal curiosity by reading widely and deeply in multiple formats and create for a variety of purposes.

Invite learners to think about something they love to do. Is there an animal that has an affinity for the same thing? Direct learners to create Venn Diagram to show the similarities and differences they have with the animal. Explain that they will have to do some research to find as much information as they can to make a strong argument for their comparisons.

Venn Diagrams

Canva has free Venn Diagrams learners can explore. Demonstrate how to choose a template and add text boxes.

Make your own Venn Diagram with Google Slides. Click here to watch How to Make an Editable Venn Diagram Template in Google Slides by Tiger Tips on YouTube.