Have you seen all the great books about birds that have come out for children recently? Add the National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America: The Best Birding Book for Kids from National Geographic’s Bird Experts by Jonathan Alderfer to the list. It takes kid-friendly bird guides to a whole new level.
Of course, the first thing that strikes the reader is the National Geographic quality photographs and artwork. Plus, it wouldn’t be National Geographic with really nice maps of where many of the birds are found (sneak in a geography lesson here?) Now add a lot of good tips for identification and easily-digestible facts about the different birds. Stir in a few bird-related activities, and you have a fantastic bird guide for kids.
The organization is super. Realistically, children are going to want to discover what is in their back yards, and this guide makes that possible with chapters like “Eastern Back Yards” and “City Streets and Parks.” When the child visits a new place, he or she can brush up on the birds beforehand. For those who become excited about birds, there are sections of “rock stars,” interesting birds that catch people’s attention and stretch the child’s knowledge further.
Truly, any child interested in nature and the outdoors will benefit from a copy of this book. It may seem like hype to call it the “best birding book for kids,” but this guide definitely is a “rock star.”
For a related activity, see Bird and Moon for a poster about learning bird songs.
If you are looking for more books about birds for children, check out our list at Science Books for Kids.
Age Range: 7 – 9 years
Paperback: 176 pages (also available with library binding)
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (March 12, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1426310943
ISBN-13: 978-1426310942
Book provided by my local public library.
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I want this book!! I have a bird feeder in the back and we spend time watching them. The highlight of the summer has been the purple martin. National Geographic is so good with these books. Thank you for sharing!
I love that it has a blue jay on the cover! Say what you will about them, but I think they are one of the most beautiful birds! For very young birdwatchers, Enslow’s Can You Find These Birds? is excellent!
Jeff-
Oh, a purple martin is very cool. We always enjoyed our bird feeders. We have a lot of hummingbirds here.
Lisa,
Thank you for the book suggestion. I will definitely add it to the list.