How to Find a Bird

A veteran birder invites young readers to look for the birds around them....Ward makes clear why birds are where they are. Some are feeding or nesting on the ground; some are snacking or splashing in the water; some are high in the sky; others perch on wires or feed in your own backyard. Sudyka's opaque watercolors are as engaging as the text....An afterword for older readers or caregivers provides good suggestions and further resources. Bird-finding made easy and attractive.

K-Gr 3--Beautiful and fascinating birds exist all around, according to Ward's new guide on amateur ornithology. As a little boy and girl go exploring, the text offers clues on where and how bird-watchers should look for feathered friends. Ward, an avian enthusiast, advises readers to look on the ground, try to detect camouflaged birds, and remain still and quiet to hear bird sounds. Sudyka's illustrations are stunning and detailed. Each bird is labeled, and the sounds the birds make swoop across the page in varied fonts. The text itself is simple and engaging, and Ward's passion for birds and love of nature are apparent. VERDICT This brief and visually captivating title will inspire readers to get outside and watch birds.--Kaitlin Malixi, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, Philadelphia

Two wide-eyed children, one Black and one white, encounter an assortment of birds across various habitats in this assertively whimsical introduction to birding. Beginning with suggestions for eyeing birds ("Quiet is good"), Ward's text offers ping-ponging injunctions ("Don't just look up to find a bird;" "Of course you can always look up to find a bird too!") alongside questionable assertions, such as "Birds are the cleverest blenders of all." (Chameleons and octopuses may take issue.) Employing identifying labels and vague characteristics (European starlings can be found "simply sitting"), Sudyka's vibrant illustrations show avian life, including tundra swans, California quails, monk parakeets, and burrowing owls, sampled from various ecological niches. A closing spread titled "We Can All Be Birdwatchers!" provides a succinct and helpful guide to bird-watching, field marks, making a life list, and becoming a citizen scientist. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel, Full Circle Literary. Illustrator's agent: Andrea Morrison and Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Aug.)