The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit’s Amazing Migration

By Sandra Markle and Mia Posada

Crackle! Crackle! Crunch! What's hatching from that egg? It's a young bar-tailed godwit. She will spend the summer in Alaska learning to fly, find her own food, and escape from scary predators. Her long, long journey begins in October when she flies to New Zealand. This 7,000-mile flight is the longest nonstop bird migration ever recorded. Follow along on her amazing voyage!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jan 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781467742887

Book preview

Reviews for The Long, Long Journey

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

New Zealand author Sandra Markle and American illustrator Mia Posada join forces in this engaging and informative look at the long migration of the bar-tailed godwit, a species of bird that regularly migrates from Alaska to New Zealand. The narrative follows the story of one young godwit, who hatches in Alaska, quickly grows to maturity, and makes her first flight to New Zealand - a distance of 7,000 miles - with a flock of other young godwits who have never taken this journey before. Astonishingly, they fly without stopping, burning off much of the fat they put on in Alaska. Once in New Zealand, the godwit lives for a year or two, before making the return trip to Alaska to have young of her own...I have encountered both Markle and Posada before, Markle through her marvelous Animals Explorers Saw series, and Posada through such excellent titles as Who Was Here?: Discovering Wild Animal Tracks and Summer Green to Autumn Gold: Uncovering Leaves' Hidden Colors, so I was excited to track down The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit's Amazing Migration. It did not disappoint, providing an engaging narrative, and a wealth of fascinating information. Apparently the arrival and departure of the godwits are major events in New Zealand, signally the beginning of different seasons, and reported on the news. This reminds me a bit of the American custom of Groundhog Day, in which animal behavior gives an indication of seasonal change to the human population. The godwit's journey is an amazing one, especially when one considers how tiny these creatures are, and how far the have to fly, and I thought Markle's approach here was a wise one, giving children a personal stake in the story through the individual godwit's narrative, but also providing additional information at the back, as well as a list of further resources. The accompanying artwork from Posada was lovely, with muted color palette and a collage style well-suited to the story. Recommended to all young animal and nature lovers, and to anyone seeking picture-books about animal migrations.

[turrean_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stellar narrative nonfiction.

[rnelson12-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Godwitz are truly amazing. They travel such a tremendous distance. Readers lean about the Gogwitz characteristics, and their journey home.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great story, information, and illustrations.

[bookwren · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was attracted to this picture book by the topic and the beautiful illustrations, but I was somewhat disapointed with the text. I found the term "little female" too cute. I would have preferred hatchling, which would better match the more factual, scientific words. Later, the author uses "chick" and "young female" and this improves the flow of the text. Overall, though, a pleasing introduction to the life history of bar-tailed godwits and their amazing, 8-day, non-stop migration from breeding grounds in Alaska to winter habitat in New Zealand. It's hearening to learn that the New Zealanders honor the birds with a welcome back festival. The stunning illustrations make this book a worthwhile purchase.Backmatter includes amazing facts, resources and an author's note.

[rjmoir · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Following a young female bar-tailed godwit, a species of bird which spends much of its life in Sandra Markle's home of New Zealand, from its birth through its first migration, the real star of this informative and eye-popping picture book is the art. While Markle's text is easy to follow, informative, and engaging, Mia posada's cut paper and watercolor art leaps off the page. The light touch of water color combined with the slight shadows under the pieces of painted cut paper lend depth to the scenes of the bird's life. The texture, too, plays a big part in the book's appeal. The fluffy appearance Posada gives the chicks, in particular, is so vivid that it feels as if the reader could reach out and touch the downy feathers. More impressive still, Posada makes ample use of perspective and fading from background to foreground, or from environment to environment, further enhancing the depth and fluidity of movement on each page. The back of the book also provides a few additional facts about Godwits, as well as recommended links and books to seek out for more information. Though the plot is perhaps somewhat conventional, the book is visually enthralling. Recommended.