Birds
(Book)

Line drawings in blue and black highlight some special feathers on the white endpapers of this beautiful picture book. In a veritable explosion of color, double-page spreads launch the thesis that birds come in many different colors, shapes, and personalities. A giant eagle soars over a farm landscape, in contrast to a spread focused on a tiny blue hummingbird working over pink blossoms on a cherry tree. The opposites continue, as the raucous display of a peacock vies with the shy watchfulness of wide-eyed owl siblings on a tree branch. Some birds build nests, some prefer birdhouses; some migrate, some stay cozy at home. But no matter what, nearly all like to have conversations. So when a boy and a girl of different races sit under a tree, their speech, like the bird's song, reproduces the loving words of a friend. Mixed-media illustrations in flat shapes and brilliant colors explode over every double-page spread. The message? Let your heart soar with the music and freedom of your imagination, as the birds do.--Lolly Gepson Copyright 2010 Booklist

PreS-Gr 3-This introduction will inspire young readers to open their ears and eyes to the beauty and diversity of birds. The first half of the book highlights their differences with simple comparisons and contrasts. "Some like to show off, while others would rather watch." This spread features a flamboyant peacock on the recto and two wide-eyed owls perched on a branch on the verso. Size, song, homes, and migratory habits are also mentioned. The second half of the text highlights how people observe and appreciate birds. "A bird's song is like the loving words of a friend.... Birds are free. They make our imaginations soar." Crisp, bold mixed-media illustrations on a white background enhance readers' understanding of the text. A huge, fierce eagle flies high above a bird's-eye view of the fields below while a tiny blue hummingbird sips nectar from a luscious pink cherry blossom. The endpapers are adorned with myriad feathers. Pair with Kevin Henkes's Birds or Lizzy Rockwell's A Bird Is a Bird for a soaring storytime. VERDICT Even the youngest audience will appreciate this celebration of our fine feathered friends.-Barbara Auerbach, Cairo Public Library, NY © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The author/illustrator of Trees (2017) presents another broadly titled work, similar in illustration and feel.Vibrant digital illustrations, reminiscent at times of watercolors, show many different birdsbirds of all shapes, sizes, and colors, compared in their natural habitats and in flight. The presumed narrator is a brown-skinned, dark-haired young child, walking and bicycling around outdoors, observing birds, and spending time with a pale-skinned friend. Many different birds are presented in this booka peacock, geese, an eagle, a hummingbird, macaws, owls, and morebut none are identified in any way. The text, an abstract homage, is gentle and spare, but it often feels disjointed and may not mesh with the developmental level of the young readers likely to be attracted to it: "A bird's song is like the loving words of a friend. // A happy song that greets us every morning. // And our hearts sing, too, because birds are like good news coming. // Or messages of peace." Birds are presented as metaphor and inspiration as well as physical beings; the last spread show the young protagonist riding on a goose, high up in the sky, surrounded by different birds. "They make our imaginations soar." Endpapers are filled with individual feathers of different birds. This book of birds tries to take off but doesn't fully fly. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Line drawings in blue and black highlight some special feathers on the white endpapers of this beautiful picture book. In a veritable explosion of color, double-page spreads launch the thesis that "birds come in many different colors, shapes, and personalities." A giant eagle soars over a farm landscape, in contrast to a spread focused on a tiny blue hummingbird working over pink blossoms on a cherry tree. The opposites continue, as the raucous display of a peacock vies with the shy watchfulness of wide-eyed owl siblings on a tree branch. Some birds build nests, some prefer birdhouses; some migrate, some stay cozy at home. "But no matter what, nearly all like to have conversations." So when a boy and a girl of different races sit under a tree, their speech, like the bird's song, reproduces the loving words of a friend. Mixed-media illustrations in flat shapes and brilliant colors explode over every double-page spread. The message? Let your heart soar with the music and freedom of your imagination, as the birds do. Preschool-Grade 2. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

PreS-Gr 3—This introduction will inspire young readers to open their ears and eyes to the beauty and diversity of birds. The first half of the book highlights their differences with simple comparisons and contrasts. "Some like to show off, while others would rather watch." This spread features a flamboyant peacock on the recto and two wide-eyed owls perched on a branch on the verso. Size, song, homes, and migratory habits are also mentioned. The second half of the text highlights how people observe and appreciate birds. "A bird's song is like the loving words of a friend… Birds are free. They make our imaginations soar." Crisp, bold mixed-media illustrations on a white background enhance readers' understanding of the text. A huge, fierce eagle flies high above a bird's-eye view of the fields below while a tiny blue hummingbird sips nectar from a luscious pink cherry blossom. The endpapers are adorned with myriad feathers. Pair with Kevin Henkes's Birds or Lizzy Rockwell's A Bird Is a Bird for a soaring storytime. VERDICT Even the youngest audience will appreciate this celebration of our fine feathered friends.—Barbara Auerbach, Cairo Public Library, NY