Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always loved birds, especially the red-winged black birds; their song was the first I learned to recognize as a kid. My first field guide was written by Roger Tory Peterson, and through that book and many others I’ve learned about the amazing world around us. Now, as a children’s nonfiction author, I get to share similar stories with young readers through my books and at school presentations. And as a writing instructor, I collect well-crafted and well-researched nonfiction, and use them to encourage budding children’s writers at workshops, in blog posts for the Nonfiction Ninjas, and as co-host of the annual Nonfiction Fest that celebrates true stories for children.


I wrote

For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson

By Peggy Thomas, Laura Jacques (illustrator),

Book cover of For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson

What is my book about?

Some kids called him “Professor Nuts Peterson,” but Roger didn’t care. He was all about the birds. He watched birds.…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist

Peggy Thomas Why did I love this book?

I was thrilled to find Sky Painter, because it’s about Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the famous painter mentioned in my book, who once gave Roger Tory Peterson a paintbrush. I’d always wanted to know more about the man who inspired Roger, and author Margarita Engle does a wonderful job capturing the painter’s curiosity, compassion, and dedication to birds.  

Like Roger, Louis was always bringing home wildlife. He kept baby birds on the porch, and sketched an owl in the kitchen. And like Roger, Louis painted in the bathroom. Roger did it because of the light. Louis did it because his model, a loon, was swimming in the bathtub!

If you love birds, you’ll certainly find a kindred spirit in Sky Painter

By Margarita Engle, Aliona Bereghici (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sky Painter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Louis loves to watch birds. He takes care of injured birds and studies how they look and how they move. His father wants him to become an engineer, but Louis dreams of being a bird artist. To achieve this dream, he must practice, practice, practice. He learns from the art of John James Audubon. But as Louis grows up, he begins to draw and paint living, flying birds in their natural habitats.

Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1927) is now known as the father of modern bird art. He traveled with many scientific expeditions all over the world. His best-known works-paintings for…


Book cover of The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon

Peggy Thomas Why did I love this book?

Before Roger Tory Peterson, there was Louis. Before Louis, there was John James Audubon – another amazing wildlife artist. But what makes this picture book biography different is that the author Jacqueline Davies shows how John J. solved a century’s old mystery – Where do birds go in winter?

Intensely curious, John J. decided to tie a tiny piece of wire around a bird’s leg. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happened next, but I think you’ll agree that John’s simple experiment was one of the biggest innovations in ornithology. Beautifully written and illustrated, this book is one to add to your life list.  

By Melissa Sweet,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Boy Who Drew Birds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

John James Audubon was a boy who loved the out-of-doors more than the in. He was a boy who believed in studying birds in nature, not just from books. And, in the fall of 1804, he was a boy determined to learn if the small birds nesting near his Pennsylvania home really would return the following spring. This book reveals how the youthful Audubon pioneered a technique essential to our understanding of birds. Capturing the early passion of America's greatest painter of birds, this story will leave young readers listening intently for the call of birds large and small near…


Book cover of Counting Birds: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends

Peggy Thomas Why did I love this book?

Believe it or not, a long time ago hunters would go out on Christmas day and shoot as many birds as they could. I know! What an awful tradition! Yikes! Fortunately, Frank Chapman thought it was awful, too. This book shows how he campaigned for bird lovers to count birds rather than shoot them. 

Today, millions of people participate in the Christmas Bird Count. Their data helps scientists keep track of bird populations. The best part is that anyone can participate. Counting Birds reminds us that one person really can make a difference.

By Heidi E. Y. Stemple, Clover Robin (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Counting Birds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Everyday kids learn how they can help protect bird species, near and far, with the award-winning book Counting Birds-the real-life story behind the first annual bird count.

What can you do to help endangered animals and make a positive change in our environment? Get counting! Counting Birds is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces kids to the idea of bird counts and bird watches. Along the way, they will learn about Frank Chapman, an ornithologist who wanted to see the end of the traditional Christmas bird hunt, an event in which people would shoot as many birds as possible on…


Book cover of Finding a Dove for Gramps

Peggy Thomas Why did I love this book?

This is a fictional story about a boy searching for his Gramps’s favorite bird during the Christmas Bird Count. 

I’m sure there are many young readers who don’t think they know enough to participate in something so grand as the Christmas Bird Count. But I’m confident that this book will reassure them that they know more than they think as they confidently identify the birds deftly illustrated by Maria Luisa Di Gravio. Lisa Amstutz, the author, has also included in the backmatter a birding checklist to get little bird nerds started. I think this story will inspire a lot of families to start their own birding tradition.

By Lisa J. Amstutz, Maria Luisa Di Gravio (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Finding a Dove for Gramps as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A heart-warming story about nature, birds, and a family tradition.

A boy and his mom continue the family tradition of participating in the annual bird count. Since Gramps went South for the winter, the boy hopes to spot Gramps's favorite bird for him—a dove! But with so many different birds in the nature preserve, will he be able to spot one? This heart-warming family story about nature celebrates a holiday census that was first started in 1900 and happens every year.


Book cover of Feathers: Not Just for Flying

Peggy Thomas Why did I love this book?

For this recommendation, I’ve chosen something different. 

Every bird nerd should know the bird basics, and Melissa Stewart’s book on feathers is the perfect place to begin. You’re sure to learn something new. I did. I had no idea that feathers came in so many different shapes and sizes. You might be surprised, too, to discover all the things feathers can do. I won’t give them all away, but some are used for warmth, and others for floating! 

Bird lovers will also appreciate the illustrations by Sarah Brannen, which resemble a naturalist’s sketchbook. They may even inspire you to create one of your own.

By Melissa Stewart, Sarah S. Brannen (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Feathers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, 8, and 9.

What is this book about?

Young naturalists explore sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many, remarkable uses of feathers. A concise main text highlights how feathers are not just for flying. More curious readers are invited to dig deeper with informative sidebars that underscore how feathers of all shapes and sizes help birds with warming or cooling, protect them from the sun, help them swim, glide or even dig. With a range of common and exotic species readers will be engaged by both the new and the familiar. Beautiful and delicate watercolor illustrations showcase life-size feathers and compare them to everyday objects. With…


Explore my book 😀

For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson

By Peggy Thomas, Laura Jacques (illustrator),

Book cover of For the Birds: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson

What is my book about?

Some kids called him “Professor Nuts Peterson,” but Roger didn’t care. He was all about the birds. He watched birds. He drew birds. He hung over cliffs to photograph birds. And when he created his first Peterson Field Guide, Roger inspired millions of people to become bird watchers, too.  

Working closely with the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Thomas and Jacques have created the first children’s biography of the world-famous naturalist who revolutionized the way we look at, study, and appreciate animals, plants, and birds.

Book cover of The Sky Painter: Louis Fuertes, Bird Artist
Book cover of The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon
Book cover of Counting Birds: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends

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Rooted in Sunrise

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Book cover of Rooted in Sunrise

Beth Dotson Brown Author Of Rooted in Sunrise

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I read and write to better understand people. Why do we do what we do, feel what we feel, hide what we hide? Any book that illuminates these questions and their answers draws me in. Reading and writing are ways that I can attempt to walk in someone else’s shoes and see the world through their eyes, expanding my own understanding of the world. Perhaps the books on this list will offer you the same opportunity.

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What is my book about?

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Rooted in Sunrise

By Beth Dotson Brown,

What is this book about?

"A loving coming-of-age story for women in mid-life. Brava!" -Adriana Trigiani, Author of The Good Left Undone

". . . captures the true meaning of resilience-something so many women strive to know in the depths of their inner-self." -Sister Robbie Pentecost, OSF former Executive Director of the New Opportunity School for Women

Ava Winston likes her life of routine in Lexington, Kentucky. Each day, she goes to the place she's worked for twenty years, then returns home. On Sundays, she has dinner with her daughter, Juniper. It's a little boring, but as Ava nears fifty-five, she deserves a bit of…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in birds, birdwatching, and counting?

Birds 178 books
Birdwatching 38 books
Counting 26 books