There are so many birds to discover in this vibrantly colored nature book of hide-and-seek. Ruth Heller shows how owls, ducks, and other interesting birds are experts at camouflage. Watch them disappear!
This book consists of Heller’s wonderful art, in this case many different birds and their environments, and a rhyme about each bird and why they need camaflouge to survive in nature. The art is first rate; the poem is pretty good, definitely containing interesting information, although it doesn’t read aloud particularly easily. Its ending is a bit scary, or fascinating, depending on the listener/reader. The last line is: “…predators to live must eat, so also fade and are discreet, and then their prey on which they sup can’t see who’s going to eat them up.” My favorite part of this book was the second rendition of each of the birds, the one in which they’re in their camouflaged environment, and the reader/listener has to find them. This book would be a perfect accompaniment to a lesson on the subject or any nature/birds lesson.
I enjoy the content of Ruth Heller’s books, but her rhyme schemes are uncomfortably bad. I always stumble reading these books because the rhythm is out of whack. I guess that’s her style... but it’s so jarring and unpleasant sometimes.