Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4-6. Written from the point of view of a little boy observing the birds who come into his yard to perch, eat, sing, bathe, and nest, this interesting introduction is marked by its large, colorful illustrations of common birds. However, the use of first person with a young child as narrator is at times problematic. Though usually the phrasing is simple and direct--"The woodpecker starts to make a loud noise," there are other sentences like "The tiniest bird in our yard is the ruby-throated hummingbird that sucks nectar like a bee from our garden flowers." While the occasional pictures of the boy seem somewhat awkward, the bird paintings that dominate the book make effective use of Lizzy Rockwell's naive painting style and harmonious color choices. For the very young, an appealing backyard bird book. ~--Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-- A straightforward introduction to some of the common birds that visit a little boy's yard throughout the seasons: the familiar cardinal, blue jay, and robin, and the less easily recognizable red-eyed vireo, phoebe, and catbird. Common names such as woodpecker and swallow are given even though several types of each species exist, but the general term is enough for the intended age level. An open format with limited text allows the large uncluttered illustrations to highlight the subjects. On most pages only one or two birds are discussed, and they are easily identified in the illustration. However, on a few pages several birds are seen, with little clue from the text as to which is which. The watercolor illustrations are rendered with realistic simplicity, so that line, form, and basic coloring are recognizable from a child's observations of birds in the wild. Lizzie Rockwell's pictures are more realistic than Ehlert's stylized illustrations in Feathers for Lunch (HBJ, 1990). Overall, this mother-daughter team has created an appealing book that will encourage identification of individual species and their behavior. --Diane Nunn, Richard E. Byrd Elem . School, Glen Rock, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The mother-daughter team has created a simple introduction to the common birds found in town gardens. Lizzy Rockwell's large pictures show the birds clearly enough to make identification easy. From HORN BOOK 1992, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
