The Maine Birthday Book

This is story of a chickadee, trying to decide on a birthday wish.  His friends, each from a different county in Maine, offer up suggestions. What would YOU wish for? That’s the question a thoughtful chickadee named Dirigo asks his friends who have traveled from all over Maine’s woods, waterways and wilderness to celebrate his birthday. Gathered around the dandelion birthday candle, each animal offers Dirigo a special wish as they take turns telling stories about their own Maine birthdays. A conversation to be enjoyed any day of the year, The Maine Birthday Book was born on a walk in the woods where farmland and forest meet the sea. It’s a celebration of wildlife, geography and the magic of Maine.

This book is suitable for all ages.  When reading to a toddler, I usually don’t even read the text.  We turn the pages and talk about the pictures, and this book lends itself perfectly for that.  Then an older preschooler will enjoy the story line, the art, and will ask questions about the various animals.  Older kids will be interested in the variety of animals, and will get the concept of counties in Maine, and it’s varied environments.  And even older kids could be challenged to learn the names of the counties, their location and maybe discover where people they know in Maine live. And the best part?  The reader will also learn something about Maine that they didn’t know before.  A very solid book, hardcover, that will grow with the child