Roger Tory Peterson (1908–1996)

#63 in my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for [b:101 Amazing Facts about Australia|21332402|101 Amazing Facts about Australia (Countries of the World)|Jack Goldstein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394253825l/21332402._SY75_.jpg|25417728] You can see all the books on their own shelf.

Wow, so much stuff! Usually I'm complaining about a dearth of actual information but this is chock full of penguiny goodness. And it's the show more best because of Peterson 's anecdotal style: people he knew who were cut open by razor sharp beaks kind of thing. You couldn't sit down and read the whole thing as a bedtime story, but for a kid who is interested it's awesome. Even a kid who isn't particularly fascinated by penguins or polar regions would probably enjoy just looking at the pictures. Having both photos and sketches shows different aspects of appearance. Also, magnificent scenery and enormous colonies.

Library copy show less

I have so many bird guides but this is the one that I always go back to! When I started out, I didn't understand why the author used drawings, but now I know it's brilliant. Birds look different in every photograh but a drawing with an arrow pointing to a good ID feature is key! Wondrful book, my only complaint is that I always want more information about a species than the small paragraph given. This book was designed to be carried on a birding trip so I guess it can't be a tome.

I love ferns and photograph them often. Trouble was that I had very little idea which was which. This is an updated version of a book written in the 50s I think and, like other Peterson guides, uses a combination of drawings and photographs along with informational text to help you figure out what gorgeous little fern you're looking at. The beginning includes a general morphology on ferns; from rhizome to pinnule. It also explains how pinnae work which is so important for identifying ferns show more (is it single, bi- or tri-pinnate?). Some fern entries go on for several pages with complete information about habitat, ecology, range, rhizome, blade, and more. Thorough and full of detail. show less

A massive book, in number of pages, dimensions, content, photographs maps and paintings, a veritable encyclopedia of the many hundreds of threatened and vulnerable birds and their habitats the world over. It makes for rather grim reading, however, especially the gruesome details of how modern man (mainly Europeans) have slaughtered birds in the millions, bringing many of the most prolific and numerous to extinction in the last 500 years or less. The ecological accounts (divided by biomes) show more are a bit elementary and pitched to a school level, which of course does not gainsay the wealth of site-specific information and photographs. Definitely a milestone, a classic publication, and a great addition to the bird lover's collection. show less