
Pheasant hunting season in Kansas ended about a month ago. If you have younger hunters in the house whose interest in the sport was sparked last winter, or if you want to introduce your younger kids to the idea before the upcoming hunting season, you might want to try this week’s Port Pick.
Common Pheasant by Shelia Griffin Llanas is a short book with plenty of photographs. About two thirds of the book is taken up with a description of the bird, while the last few pages cover hunting the birds. Two pages are devoted to each short topic. The topics range from general information, history of the bird, basic physical makeup, and general daily activities. For example, did you know that pheasants are not native to Kansas? They were successfully introduced in 1906. The birds were thriving in the 1940s, but expansion of farming into formerly open prairie decreased the number and since then pheasant farming has been the most successful way of keeping the population large enough to hunt enjoyably. The hunting section of the book lists a few bag limits for examples, and the best weapons and shot to use to bag the bird. The final few pages offer advice on what to do at the end of a successful hunt, but doesn’t go into specifics of dressing the bird. There is an emphasis throughout on how a pheasant lives in the Midwestern U.S. states. There is also a glossary in the back of the book that gives a quick definition for vocabulary words that have been printed in bold print throughout the book. This title is best suited for readers in second through sixth grade, although if any high school students are doing a research project, this would be a good quick resource.
You can get the book reviewed here and more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit, on the North Campus. This is director Rachel Malay, saying “Thanks for checking us out!”
Common Pheasant by Shelia Griffin Llanas
ISBN: 9781624031076, 32 pages, full color photographs
Children's non fiction books