Review by Booklist Review
In this big, colorful volume, Collard goes beyond admiring the beautiful hues of birds to explain how the colors are formed, what they communicate to other birds, and why they are useful for the species' survival. For example, after introducing the colorful male cardinals and bluebirds, he explains that their bright colors suggest to females that they are healthier than their competitors. Later, he discusses how colors can communicate territorial warnings, species identification, and pecking order. Alternately, colors sometimes provide camouflage specific to the bird's environment. The book has two texts running in parallel: Short sentences printed at the tops of pages in large type offer a little information that young children, even preschoolers, can enjoy in conjunction with the adjacent illustration. The longer sentences below offer more detailed, often intriguing information for interested kids. From the pictures of brightly colored, photogenic species to a shot of the common pauraque, a mottled brown-and-gray bird barely visible against a background of brown-and-gray sticks, the photos provide excellent illustrations. An attractive choice for the bird shelves.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
