A Little Bird Told Me: An illustrated compendium of bird phrases

by Matt Sewell

52 beautiful and quirky watercolour drawings and a linguistic curio for every week of the year

Building on the charm and success of his bestselling Our Garden Birds and Owls, Matt Sewell brings his signature whimsical artistry to the world of animal idioms in A Little Bird Told Me. This delightful collection combines Sewell’s lush, evocative illustrations with an exploration of beloved animal idioms. The book provides readers with the origins, meanings, and whimsical interpretations of phrases we use every day, inspired by the quirks of the animal kingdom.

Perfect as a gift book, a light-hearted educational resource, or a coffee table treasure, A Little Bird Told Me will appeal to animal lovers, linguaphiles, and fans of Matt Sewell’s distinctive work.

128 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2026

About the author

Artist and illustrator Matt Sewell has been described as the Banksy of the bird world. Matt works in a variety of media including T-shirts, posters, interiors, sculptures and walls. He has illustrated for the Guardian and Barbour, amongst many others; painted underpasses for the RSPB; and exhibited in London, Manchester, New York, Tokyo and Paris, as well as being an avid ornithologist and regular contributor to the Caught by The River website (he also designed their logo).

His bird books, Our Garden Birds, Our Woodland Birds, A Charm of Goldfinches and many more, have taken the world by storm. He has also illustrated numerous children’s books including The Big Bird Spot, Dinosaurs and Forgotten Beasts. His latest book for children is Atlas of Amazing Birds.

Matt lives in Shrewsbury with his partner and two children.