Review by Booklist Review
Welcome to the wee world of hummingbirds! There are over 353 different types of these diminutive dynamos, and this immersive introduction takes on 12 of these species, imparting general hummingbird knowledge while also giving each of the 12 birds a moment to shine. Superpowers are revealed, like incredible wing speed (80 beats per minute) and the ability to fly backwards and hover like a helicopter. Incredibly intimate depictions immediately immerse the reader; tiny babies beg for food from their minuscule mother, flashy rivals fiercely battle for territory, and an adorable Anna's Hummingbird snoozes in the snow. This beautiful book works for a wide age range, containing both a bolded lyrical text for the younger crowd and more elaborate paragraphs in a smaller font for an older audience. Stunning pastel, colored-pencil, and airbrushed illustrations look real enough to touch, and the hazy bird wings seem to actually beat a mile a minute. Each splendid spread spotlights a different aspect of hummingbird existence and another striking species. An impressive introduction to a mind-boggling bird.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Page-filling hummingbird close-ups populate this appreciation from the team behind Behold the Octopus! "Hummingbirds only live in the Americas," Slade explains in back matter, and each spread of this picture book depicts one of only a dozen featured, from an Anna's hummingbird conserving energy to a red-tailed comet busy pollinating. Informational content arrives in parallel text: oversize action words on the left ("feeding," "resting") accompany facts, at right, about these "aerial acrobats" who "fly backward and hover in one place like a helicopter" as well as "maneuver up and down like an elevator." Working in pastel, colored pencil, and airbrush, Gonzalez realistically pictures the birds visiting tropical flowers, sparring, or perching amid twigs, while blurred backgrounds hint at greenery. It's a basic introduction that falls short of depicting the variety and diversity of the hummingbird kingdom. Ages 4--8. (Apr.)
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