This book has poems about different kinds of birds. Good to have in the classroom for kids that like different genres or poems. For individual reading, this book is probably best for 3rd or 4th grade. ( )

This is a book filled with a collection of poems about various birds. Each poem is different and uses different literary devices to express the characteristics of various birds found in the wild. This book teaches readers about the different types of birds and simple poetry. I would recommend this book for second through fifth graders. ( )

Sixteen brief but clever poems about birds from author David Elliott are paired with gorgeous illustrations from Becca Stadtlander in this lovely little picture-book. From the fluttering hummingbird to the fiery flamingo, the oddball Australian pelican to the symbolic bald eagle, the avian life profiled here is as distinctive as it is beautiful...

I initially sought out On the Wing because I recently read and greatly enjoyed Sleep Tight Farm: A Farm Prepares for Winter, and wanted to find more of illustrator Becca Stadtlander's work. It certainly rewarded me, from a visual stand-point, as I found her gouache illustrations here absolutely gorgeous. It's amazing to think that this was her debut, as a picture-book illustrator! That said, I was also rewarded textually, finding the poems quite cleverly done, and often thought-provoking. One of my favorites addressed the Andean condor, reading: "You watched the ancient empires / come, then go. / How and why they vanished - / a secret that you know. / Is it your knowledge of this mystery / that we fear? / Or that one day we, too / might disappear?" Recommended to young bird lovers and picture-book poetry readers. ( )

Book was reviewed in class discussion.

On the Wing is a collection of poems about birds. On each page is a poem about a different bird. The poems tell about the birds physical features like wings, beaks and colors, as well as where the bird lives, eats and sounds like. The poems are both informational and entertaining. My favorite poem in the collection is, "The Macaw" 'Who spilled the paint?' Genius. ( )