Book Giveaway – World of Birds by Kim Kurki

Kim Kurki has agreed to share her award winning non-fiction book titled, National Wildlife Federation’s World of Birds by offering a copy to one lucky winner. If you would like to win a copy, please leave a comment, reblog, tweet, or talk about National Wildlife Federation’s World of Birds on Facebook with a link and you will get additional chances to win. Just let me know the other things you did to share the good news, so I can put the right amount of tickets in my basket for you. Check back to discover the winner.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

National Wildlife Federation’s World of Birds introduces kids ages 7 through 12 to more than 120 different species of birds in their native environments, with detailed illustrations and exciting, memorable information from Kim Kurki and the experts at the National Wildlife Federation.

From the National Wildlife Federation, publishers of Ranger Rick, the popular nature magazine for kids, comes this exciting, dynamic, and wonderfully illustrated guide for young naturalists.

National Wildlife Federation’s World of Birds is arranged by habitat and identifies more than 100 birds. Kim Kurki¹s engaging and highly accurate illustrations give kids a true and close-up appreciation of each bird species, such as its size, shape, color, and markings, as well as its habitat, call, and behavior. Kids will learn to recognize the birds by their individual characteristics, such as the male cardinal¹s distinctive crest, the kestrel¹s helicopter hover, and the goldfinch¹s enchanting song. You¹ll also discover what makes each bird amazing, including which is the fastest flier, which lays the biggest egg, and which spends years of its life in the water, never touching land.

The excellent illustrations, nontechnical language, and fascinating facts throughout make this an ideal guide for beginner bird-watchers?of any age!

BOOK JOURNEY:

National Wildlife Federation’s World of Birds: A Beginner’s Guide

“It all started with a love of wildflowers and a subscription to Ranger Rick magazine.”

When I was a kid, I spent countless hours outdoors, exploring “nature’s treasures.” I especially loved to discover wildflowers. After many years working as an illustrator, I decided to create a book about them. My proposed book, “Wildflower Wisdom,” included fascinating facts, folklore and poetry about some of my favorite wildflowers. The pages were designed in, what I call, my “antique advertising” style, using banners, arrows and vignettes to complement a main illustration. I circulated the book dummy to many publishers for several years. Response was good, but no contract.

I have been a member of National Wildlife Federation for decades, and I have had a subscription to their Ranger Rick magazine since college. Even though it is for children, aged 7-12, I love the photos, artwork, and the fun and fascinating content. In 2004, I sent samples of my illustrations to the art director, hoping to get assignments. They liked my work, but thought it was better suited for Your Big Backyard, their magazine for younger children, aged 3-6. The art director at Your Big Backyard thought that my writing and design format for my proposed book, “Wildflower Wisdom,” would make a good monthly column for the magazine. I created a page called “Treasure Hunt,” featured on the back cover. The first page in the series was a wildflower, “Queen Anne’s Lace,” but subsequent issues covered all kinds of plants, mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and other “natural treasures” that kids could hope to find in their “own backyards.” After a few issues, we renamed it “Explore the Big Outdoors,” and I “graduated” to the inside of the back cover. I won the AEP (Association of Educational Publishers) Award for Best Column in a Pre-School Publication in 2009. The series lasted 8 years.

“One door closes, another door opens.”

When my feature in Your Big Backyard had run its course, I had completed 94 pages which I wanted to publish as a collection in a book.  The title would be the same as my column, “Explore the Big Outdoors.” The pages would be separated into 6 chapters, covering all of the topics from the magazine. When presented to the publisher and the editor at Black Dog & Leventhal, they liked the idea, but decided to separate the topics into a series of books: Birds, Plants, Mammals, Insects, etc.

The first in the series is “National Wildlife Federation’s World of Birds: A Beginner’s Guide,”

published in 2014. It consists of 17 original “bird pages” from YBB magazine and enough new material (writing and illustrations) to make up an 80-page book. http://www.blackdogandleventhal.com/world-of-birds/

“World of Birds” won a Moonbeam Award, Gold Medal for Nonfiction: Animals/Pets 2014

KIM’S BIO:

Kim Kurki has been working as an illustrator since graduation from Kutztown University in May 1980, BFA, magna cum laude.

From 1980 to 1984, Ms. Kurki held full-time art department positions at a stationery/gift company and then a screenprinting company. Freelancing since 1985, her work has been published and distributed world-wide on fine art prints, decorative tins, greeting cards, packaging, and various paper products. A partial client list includes Schiftan, Inc., The Scafa/Modernart Group, Keller-Charles of Philadelphia, CLEO Inc., CR Gibson Co., Marcel Schurman Co., Paramount Cards, and Current Inc. Recent work includes commissioned fine art illustrations for Merck & Co. Inc. and illustrations for several publications produced by Yankee Publishing, including The Old Farmer’s Almanac. For over 8 years, she wrote and illustrated for National Wildlife Federation’s Your Big Backyard magazine creating a monthly column which features birds, animals and plants that children can find in “their own backyards”. Her first book, “National Wildlife Federation’s World of Birds: A Beginner’s Guide”, has evolved from that collection of work.

In recent years, Ms. Kurki has created artwork that expresses her personal vision: a “sense of wonder” about the natural world.These realistic watercolor impressions of nature depict botanical subjects, wild plants, and natural environments. Many of these paintings/drawings have been accepted in juried exhibitions.

In addition to her own work, Ms. Kurki designs stained glass panels for Bill Osler of Osler-Kurki Studio Stained Glass in Penns Park, PA. Their work can be seen in numerous public buildings and private residences. http://www.oslerkurki.artspan.com/

Kim thank you for sharing your book and journey with us and offering a book giveaway to one lucky winner.

Kim was featured on Illustrator Saturday. Here is the link. Her website: http://kurkiillustration.webs.com/

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy