Thunderbirds: Nature's Flying Predators

Thunderbirds: Nature's Flying Predators

• author and illustrator:  Jim Arnosky  http://www.jimarnosky.com/
• medium:  acrylic paint and white chalk pencil

• year of publication:  2011
• publication city: New York
• publisher:  Sterling
• ISBN:  978-1-4027-5661-0

Annotation:  Artist Jim Arnosky presents life size foldout illustrations of Nature’s Flying Predators and discusses some interesting facts about these beautiful and majestic creatures.  Included are owls, herons, eagles, vultures and more!

Personal Thoughts:  At first I couldn’t believe some of the claims that the fold-out illustrations in this picture book were life-size.  The great gray owl’s head is massive!  It’s as big as my head!  Arnosky has crafted a beautiful book with paintings and sketches of a beloved topic dear to the author: giant predatory birds.  Arnosky’s writings combine a personal reflection of being in the field watching his avian subjects, and facts about their flying, hunting and eating habits as well as their habitat locations. 

was surprised at how interested I was and wanted to keep reading once I got started.  Did you know vultures have bald heads because they stick them inside rotting carcasses much of the time and feathers would be too messy to deal with?  Owls are silent predators while eagles and hawks rely on speed and agility.  I didn’t even realize I had so much interest in birds until Arnosky got me started.  This is a great read.

***Artwork -  The graphic presentation of this picturebook is amazing!  The pages fold-out to reveal gigantic illustrations of life-size paintings of osprey wing spans, pelican heads with beaks, and wide spreading heron and egret feet.  A naturalist illustrator, Arnosky has created lifelike acrylic and white chalk paintings that should be in an audobahn society book.   There are also impressive black and white pencil sketches of birds’ flight motions, talons and fish catching techniques.  Jim Arnosky is a very talented artist who has  large catalog of illustrated books. 

***Curriculum Connection - 7th Grade Life Science - Zoology, Birds of Prey