The Truth About Parrots

by Maxwell Eaton III, Maxwell Eaton III (Illustrator)

Overview

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Children's Book of 2021

The eighth and final book in Maxwell Eaton III’s popular series is a hilarious, kid-centered guide to the many color species, odd behaviors, and special talents (like talking!) of parrots.

Did you know there are about 360 different species of parrots?

Did you know parrots can see ultra-violet light?

Did you know parrots can identify colors using human language?

Impress your friends (and teacher) with these facts and many more from this funny and information-packed book, the last in this celebrated series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250232557
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Series:	The Truth About Your Favorite Animals
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	952,514
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Maxwell Eaton III is a highly tolerated author and illustrator of numerous books for children, including his The Truth About Your Favorite Animals series, which includes entries on dolphins, elephants, and more. When he isn't drawing talking animals, he can be found in a canoe with his wife and daughter in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State.

Editorial Reviews

2021-04-14
With the help of talkative parrots, Eaton’s nature-loving protagonist learns about a family of wild birds beloved for their abilities to mimic human voices.

In this engaging, appreciative title, a curious child meets a variety of parrots. The human representative here is a brown-skinned kid with curly, dark hair; the parrot species introduced include cockatoos, macaws, lorikeets, and the solitary, flightless kakapo. As per series norm, the narrative consists of simple statements of facts set directly on cartoon spreads. Further facts appear in boxes while humorous commentary comes from parrots themselves in speech bubbles. Often what they say in jest reinforces facts that have been introduced. The kakapo complains about crowds when the protagonist shares information with two friends; and the hyacinth macaws regard habitat destruction and comment, “We should say something.” The humor is broad, sometimes cheerfully exaggerated, but often it introduces even more facts. Grey parrots are shown in lab experiments naming and describing objects—and also asking for a grant application to be typed, which makes an observing gorilla (gorillas have also learned to communicate with humans) remark that “apparently anything goes in this book.” There is clearly instructive purpose behind the zaniness that will make readers see parrots as more than just potential pets. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Not just chatter, but a welcome and informative conclusion to a successful series of animal introductions. (further facts, further research) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews