While the term “sun bird” may first call to mind tropical animals, it here refers to the remarkable migratory habits of Arctic terns, who “experience more hours of sunlight than any other animal.” Born during the Arctic summer, tern chicks are fed and protected by adult terns from predators. They chase the sun south when summer ends, soaring over the ocean for a month, dodging skua birds and skimming the ocean for fish. Their destination is Antarctica; finally, they reach the Weddell Sea, where it is springtime. The terns live there all summer, resting among southern birds busy with their young. At the end of the season, when the sea begins to freeze, the terns return to the north, “following the sun … toward longer days and another polar summer.” Accessibly written and accompanied by lovely illustrations showing terns encountering various other species at home and sea, the account concludes with a timeline, a map of the Arctic tern’s global journey, and additional facts about these graceful birds.

An NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book

This beautifully illustrated picture book by the creator of the acclaimed Sea Bear and Yoshi and the Ocean celebrates the awe-inspiring 18,000-mile migration of one of Earth's most amazing animals--the Arctic tern. Features a map and informational back matter.

With bodies home to hollow bones and weighing about the same as a handful of sand, Arctic terns are designed for flight. And fly they do. These remarkable animals migrate an astonishing 18,000 miles--from pole to pole and back again--each year. Along the way they encounter danger, weather, other migratory animals, and a wide range of ecosystems and habitats. Because they chase the sun, ornithologists speculate that the Arctic tern enjoys more hours of daylight than any other animal on Earth.

As she did in her acclaimed picture books Sea Bear and Yoshi and the Ocean, Lindsay Moore combines a poetic, highly readable, science-rich text with gorgeously rendered watercolor paintings. Readers will be swept away by the beautiful and graceful terns, the spectacular landscapes and seascapes they traverse, the sheer magnitude of their journey, and the awesome mysteries of nature. A terrific choice for schools, for science and language arts curriculums, and for family sharing. Includes extensive back matter.