The Big Book of Birds

There are nearly ten thousand species of birds in the world. That is the first of many, many fascinating facts that youngsters will learn from this marvelous new, and very big (almost ten by fourteen inches), book. The Family Tree spread lists several groups of birds such as flightless birds, water birds, and birds of prey. For budding birdwatchers, there are some good hints about what is involved and what is needed. Why do birds have feathers? What is all this about migrations? These questions are answered with full spreads filled with lovely illustrations and text blocks written in interesting, kid-friendly language. Author/illustrator Yuval Zommer has chosen eighteen birds and bird groups to feature, each with its own spread. These eighteen spreads are followed by equally interesting spreads featuring beaks and feeding, bird calls and songs, city birds, and more. There is also a clever treasure hunt that will have youngsters looking for details in the illustrations throughout the book, as well as a small glossary of bird words. This will be a welcome addition to any library, personal or classroom, for independent readers six to nine years old.