Fly: A Family Guide to Birds and How to Spot Them

by David Lindo, Sara Boccaccini Meadows (illustrator)

Swoop in and discover the incredible diversity of birds around the world in A Family Guide to Birds and How to Spot Them, a lushly illustrated collection featuring more than 150 birdsMeet the lesser flamingo, “hero of the friendly flock,” and discover other flocking birds, from the chimney swift to the starling, whose murmurations mesmerize birdwatchers from around the world. Next, get to know the Adélie penguin, “hero of the water world,” and discover other birds that are more at home in the sea than the sky. Then continue through the avian world as you meet birds with brilliant beaks, fantastic feet, wonderful wings, eye-catching colors, and more. Packed with interesting facts and extraordinary species, this book is sure to instill a love of birds among young readers. Author David Lindo, the Urban Birder, is the perfect guide to the world of birds, bringing together an aviary of species with superhuman abilities, splendid plumage, and surprising behaviors. He also delves into the world of folklore and mythology, showing how cultures from ancient to modern have been inspired by their feathered friends. Color illustrations by Sara Boccaccini Meadows.In Our Nature A Family Guide to the Night Sky A Family Guide to Plants and How to Grow Them

Genres: Nonfiction, Birds, Nature, Science, Picture Books

64 pages, Hardcover

Published September 3, 2024

Reviews

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, oversized watercolor portraits of birds all around the world plus an accessible organizational structure will make this book very attractive to wildlife enthusiasts. Lindo groups his fascinating subjects by their most obvious characteristics, which include, for example, beaks, nests, habitats, and wings. For each section, he opens by spotlighting a species in a two-page spread that models an extreme example of the attribute and then follows up with another two-page spread that explores its appearance in a variety of other birds. The malleefowl of southern Australia wins the title “the Hero of Nifty Nests” because the male builds it in the ground, a unique feat of engineering that takes advantage of rain and decay. Lively paintings show us both male and female malleefowl during the process with a clutch of their speckled eggs. Turn the page for more interesting nests. This pattern repeats throughout the 14 other sections, with the Blackburnian warbler given the title of “Hero of the Wild Woodlands” or the paradise tanager winning “Hero of Eye-Catching Color”. Although Meadows’s illustrations are reasonably realistic, they are also whimsical enough to convey her creativity and skill. The pages contain plenty of white space and include helpful design elements, such as dotted lines around text boxes and pastel colored ovals for information about individual species. The book concludes with information about bird conservation, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief summary: This nonfiction picture book contains details and facts using text boxes and labels. The fonts and sizes are varied to emphasize bird facts and main ideas.

Comments: The book is superbly illustrated with watercolors and gouache paints. Each bird is portrayed in great detail, showcasing its vibrant colors and unique markings. I enjoyed examining the details and interesting facts about the birds. It is very well done and a must for any library.

Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗

There are more in the In Our Nature series, and one is coming out in June. I highly recommend this series.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than Grow because it is beautiful birds!

[Anna Wooliver Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are fab.