Thornton W. Burgess is amazing. This is the first book I've read and will not be our last. He has done an excellent job exposing the bird kingdom to us in a way that we will forever be part of us. He has captured our interest, our imagination, and our desire to appreciate and observe Nature. He also helped us to understand not only habitat of each bird but behaviors. Both my children thoroughly enjoyed this book. Now when we are gazing out our windows, out for a hike, or hear the singing of a bird, we are constantly trying to remember what Peter Rabbit said or what bird we are hearing or seeing.

Guess I'm revisiting the literature of my childhood this week.
This book is NOT the reason I became a bird watcher, although I did read it (or had it read to me) growing up. Honestly, I'm not sure why it didn't get me more interested in looking for the birds in the story.
I remember the friend who DID get me into bird watching poo-pooing it when I tried to explain it to him. Then I saw him a couple of years later after he had for some reason picked up the book, and he apologized and admitted it really is quite accurate.
There's not a lot of drama or narrative tension. There are some chapters where there is a conflict or some danger, but mostly Peter Rabbit visits with different birds, asking about their lives and lifestyles. It would be a good read-aloud bedtime book (that's probably how I was exposed to it, although it was long enough ago that I don't really remember) - the chapters are fairly short and stand-alone. If you're looking to interest a youngster in birds, or have a youngster who likes birds already and are looking to encourage them, this would be a good place to start.

3 stars & 3/10 hearts. This is a good basic book for learning about birds. I remember often finding it unutterably boring the first time my mother read it aloud to me and my siblings. But reading it alone since then, I've enjoyed it. I am currently reading it aloud to my younger siblings and they seem to have the same reaction. Perhaps it would have been wiser to read this one before the Animal Book. ;) There are a couple mentions of mother nature, but not many. Otherwise, its a fun, clean, interesting read to learn about the birds of New England/east Canada.

A Favourite Quote: “‘…the people who get on best in this world are those who make the most of what they have and waste no time wishing they could have what other people have.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “As he drew near the Laughing Brook the beautiful notes seemed to ring through the Green Forest like a bell. As Melody’s song had filled Peter with a feeling of peace, so this song stirred in him a feeling of the wonderful mystery of life. There was in it the very spirit of the Green Forest.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Hello, Mourner!’ he cried. ‘What under the sun are you doing in there? Are you getting your breakfast?’
“‘Hardly, Peter; hardly,’ cooed Mourner in the softest of voices. ‘I’ve had my breakfast and now I’m picking up a little gravel for my digestion.’ He picked up a tiny pebble and swallowed it.
“‘Well, of all things!’ cried Peter. ‘You must be crazy. The idea of thinking that gravel is going to help your digestion. I should say the chances are that it will work just the other way.’”

This is the story of Peter Rabbit learning about all of his feathered friends and foes through a year in the forest and meadow region that Peter lives all year and that the birds migrate to and from depending on their needs and instincts.

Each chapter is about different discoveries of feathered folk. And present through most of the story is Jenny Wren who Peter thinks of as saucy.

Also, I should note that it was written in the late 1800s for children and does show the attitudes of people at that time.

We loved reading this for homeschool and looked up videos of many of the birds! T definitely encouraged more curiosity. Doing character voices while reading aloud made this even better.

So is it wrong to rate this book after reading only 2 chapters? It is soooooo good! I leave this on the coffee table and every so often my daughter picks it up, lays it in my lap, and cuddles next to me for the next story in this book. It is a living book. You get so caught up in the story you don't even realize your learning so much about birds. The stories are so engaging....and of course having peter rabbit in them just makes them even more special! We love this book...krb 2/9/17

Haven't read this book in quite a while. Looking forward to picking it back up again in term 1 of Ambleside when we study birds...krb 8/7/17

If children want to learn about birds in a cute and delightful way, this is the book for them. I learned a lot about the different birds and bird groups and I am a bird watcher. I will always enjoy the Mother West Wind series.

Full disclosure: this book is a little dry and a lot repetitive, but if you or your child have a serious interest in birds, it’s kind of a must. My son (an amateur ornithologist and fervent birdwatcher) loved following Peter Rabbit on his adventures and meeting so many feathered friends.

A very enjoyable read-aloud. My favorite part? When Peter Rabbit saved a nest of eggs, Jude shouted and clapped with pure delight, “give it up for my man Peter!”

Nature Lore 2nd grade

I loved reading this with my 7 year old and then using what we learned to identify birds in our yard.

Reading it now that my children are grown. I hear the words differently. As Peter searches for different friends he nearly always converses with the dominant male figure. Then hippity hops back to the stereotypical female gossip. I read this book to all my children without realizing how it reinforces the male/female traditional roles. I saw it as informative and fun and as a way to immerse oneself in nature, but it is truly dated.