Last year as a Cybils judge I reviewed Yuval Zommer’s The Big Book of the Blue. Frankly, it was one of my favorites of the 140+ nonfiction books I read. I loved the unique, fun illustrations and the playfulness of it. Plus, the information presented was spot on.
Now Zommer has out a new title the series, The Big Book of Birds.
This book has many of the same features I liked about The Big Book of the Blue. The big size and the complex, engaging illustrations are the same. There’s also a challenge to search for and find a object, this time an egg, throughout the illustrations. Those sort of games can bring a young reader back to a book again and again.
The topic overviews, such as a spread about bird migration, mix well with zoomed-in discussions of specific types of birds, such as parrots or owls. Again the text is interesting and informative.
There’s only one thing that puts me off loving this one as wholeheartedly as Blue. Weirdly, I don’t like where he placed the birds’ eyes in some of the illustrations. He gives each bird two eyes in a stylized way that sometimes makes one them appear to be on the bird’s neck. Eyes on necks may not work for me, but it probably won’t be a problem for most readers.
Everything is big about this book. Even the back matter is oversized. It includes the answers to the search-and-find, a fun glossary, and a huge index.
The Big Book of Birds is the type of book that begs to be shared. Grab a copy, find a quiet corner, and spend time with a young reader delving into each and every page. They will be glad you did.
Related:
Want to read more children’s books about birds? Check our growing list at Science Books for Kids.
Age Range: 6 – 8 years
Publisher: Thames & Hudson; 1 edition (June 4, 2019)
ISBN-10: 0500651515
ISBN-13: 978-0500651513
Disclosure: The book was provided by our local library. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.
Looking for more children’s nonfiction books? Try the Nonfiction Monday blog.
