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Plume
In this lovely book, young readers are introduced to a variety of beautiful birds, from the familiar chicken to the exotic ibis. But lurking in the background of every page is a cat, who also seems very interested in the birds.
With its funny illustrations and engaging concepts, this clever counting book will invite readers to linger over every page.
With its funny illustrations and engaging concepts, this clever counting book will invite readers to linger over every page.
42 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Isabelle Simler
60 books43 followersIsabelle Simler has written and illustrated over twenty picture books for children. Sweet Dreamers, My Wild Cat, Plume, and The Blue Hour were all featured in the Society of Illustrators "The Original Art" annual exhibition. Plume was also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book. Isabelle lives in France.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
December 4, 2017
I've been reading the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2017. This is my favorite. My daughter agreed. This is the one to purchase as a holiday gift for a 2 - 5 year old. Beautiful oversized work themed around birds and their feathers as described by an elegant feline who appears in some portion on every double page spread. A single species name per illustration provides wonderful reading incentive for young minds. Beautiful endpapers feature more feathers (and more lovely words to read -- quetzal, toucan, cormorant, swan) from around the world. Very well executed.
May 24, 2017
ADORABLE. As a proud owner of a mini black panther and someone who enjoys feathers I decided to jump onin the chance to review this childreen book, and I think is a very sweet one for a younger audience. They can see the bird and its feathers, and can play a spot-the-cat game on each of the illustrations. Also, the cat is in no way menacing or trying to hunt the birds, and in the end explains she only wants the feathers to make a pillow, so... all very friendly :)
August 30, 2022
Wow, this is gorgeous! My youngest picked this out at the library and I was stunned by the cover when I saw it in the check-out stack. The cat is sooo expressive and the feathers look almost real. The end papers alone are exquisite, showing a variety of bird feathers (with labels) from around the world. Each spread of the book features a bird on one side and its feather on the other -- the detail is exquisite, and some feature more than one type of feather, such as the flight feather and the down feather. As for the beautiful black cat? You'll catch a glimpse of it on each page, perhaps just a shadow, the tip of a tail, a peek of an ear... for the cat is very curious about birds, too. I felt a bit of trepidation as I read it, knowing that outdoor cats do kill many birds, but fortunately the ending was not what I had feared it would be and left me with a smile. (I suppose it could be somewhat open to interpretation, but I chose to see it that the Plume is not harming the birds.)
March 5, 2020
A gorgeous array of birds is depicted in Plume, a picture-book from French author/illustrator Isabelle Simler. Each two-page spread features a different avian beauty, from a stork to a parrotfinch, and also features the same black cat, lurking in the background. It turns out that Plume, the eponymous feline hero, is a bit of a bird watcher and feather collector...
Originally published under the same title (Plume) in France, this lovely picture-book was recently selected as a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book, and it is not difficult to see why! The artwork is absolutely breathtaking, with stylized birds in a beautiful array of colors parading across tall white pages. Plume's black tail also often features, twined around this and that, while the final pages, in which he is revealed fully, are particularly charming. The decorative end-papers, featuring various feathers (all labeled), are also a nice touch. Recommended to anyone looking for beautiful new picture-books, especially those featuring birds and/or cats.
Originally published under the same title (Plume) in France, this lovely picture-book was recently selected as a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book, and it is not difficult to see why! The artwork is absolutely breathtaking, with stylized birds in a beautiful array of colors parading across tall white pages. Plume's black tail also often features, twined around this and that, while the final pages, in which he is revealed fully, are particularly charming. The decorative end-papers, featuring various feathers (all labeled), are also a nice touch. Recommended to anyone looking for beautiful new picture-books, especially those featuring birds and/or cats.
August 14, 2017
I received this from Netgalley in excharge for an honest review.
This is a picture book that helps children indentify feathers and birds. They can use this at home or even at the zoo. The concept of this is great but I did not find it that special. I think it should have a small description (a line or two) of each bird. But I understand that children who do not know how to read are the ones who are going to "read" this book. The illustrations are fantastic!
This is a picture book that helps children indentify feathers and birds. They can use this at home or even at the zoo. The concept of this is great but I did not find it that special. I think it should have a small description (a line or two) of each bird. But I understand that children who do not know how to read are the ones who are going to "read" this book. The illustrations are fantastic!
June 21, 2017
I love this book! A cute cat is exploring his feathery friends. The artist does a wonderful job capturing just a portion of the cat in each photo while teaching about birds and feathers. It's whimsical and a great book. I received an advance review e-galley for review purposes through NetGalley, but I loved it so much I pre-ordered a copy of the hardback.
June 8, 2017
I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
This is a stunning book that introduces birds from exotic birds to chickens. Beautiful drawings and the fun of following the cat throughout the book.
This is a stunning book that introduces birds from exotic birds to chickens. Beautiful drawings and the fun of following the cat throughout the book.
October 16, 2017
This book is so cute. The artwork is gorgeous! Each page features the cat and a different bird. I love that it teaches about birds and what their feathers look like showing the feather in amazing detail. I also love that the cat "Plume" peeks in each picture. I really hope there is a second book full of different birds and Plume.
October 20, 2017
The delicate drawings in beautiful color of the feathers - plumage or plumes, is a real treat to ponder over.
The amazing variety of birds pictured by Isabelle Simler is wonderful and while the feathers are rather detailed and startlingly beautiful, the birds themselves are less natural or detailed. They are quite sufficient to identify the bird and she has imbued them with subtle expressions that indicate their knowledge and fear of black cat which is nearby.
Young children probably won't fully appreciate the delicacy and intricate drawings of the beautiful bird feathers. Nor will they "get" the sneaky, stealth of the black cat. But the cunning black cat is present and creeping up on the birds all through the book.
The "story" is virtually non-existent. Each two-page spread features and names a bird with a bit of Plume the black cat shown. And at the end the "...or Me" ("Me" is cat whose name is Plume). The artist/author is obviously using a play on words to name the cat Plume (definition of plume is "a long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers used by a bird for display or worn by a person for ornament") since he collects feathers.
Who will enjoy this book? I think that guided reading or perusal by parents, teachers, or librarians with children would be appropriate and enjoyable. A rare child might enjoy it on his or her own and grasp the beauty of the feathers and the stealth and character of the black cat, Plume.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Eerdmans Publishing to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and freely given.
The amazing variety of birds pictured by Isabelle Simler is wonderful and while the feathers are rather detailed and startlingly beautiful, the birds themselves are less natural or detailed. They are quite sufficient to identify the bird and she has imbued them with subtle expressions that indicate their knowledge and fear of black cat which is nearby.
Young children probably won't fully appreciate the delicacy and intricate drawings of the beautiful bird feathers. Nor will they "get" the sneaky, stealth of the black cat. But the cunning black cat is present and creeping up on the birds all through the book.
The "story" is virtually non-existent. Each two-page spread features and names a bird with a bit of Plume the black cat shown. And at the end the "...or Me" ("Me" is cat whose name is Plume). The artist/author is obviously using a play on words to name the cat Plume (definition of plume is "a long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers used by a bird for display or worn by a person for ornament") since he collects feathers.
Who will enjoy this book? I think that guided reading or perusal by parents, teachers, or librarians with children would be appropriate and enjoyable. A rare child might enjoy it on his or her own and grasp the beauty of the feathers and the stealth and character of the black cat, Plume.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Eerdmans Publishing to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and freely given.
April 24, 2023
Argh!!! Lovely illustrations, good concept, AND THEN THEY LABEL A BLUE TIT A NUTHATCH.
You had ONE JOB in a 'story' where 90% of it (36 of 40 pages) is a two-page spread and a single name - the name of the bird depicted.
The illustrations are cute (artistic, not accurate), and the anklebiters enjoyed spotting the part of the cat on each page. But man, did I pay WAY too much for it, and it is definitely over-rated on GR. :(
(I'm not usually this stingy, but c'mon - I'm a North American, ffs, and not even an ornithologist or anything, and even I know the difference between a nuthatch and a blue tit. For N. Americans: blue tits are basically painted chickadees. Blue cap, yellow breast, blue back, black mask, green wings. Can't miss 'em.).
What REALLY frosts my cookies, though, is that I shelled out quite a lot of money for this, so I could get an English edition to read in Switzerland. And with that amount of textual content, I could have read it in French, Italian or German (but probably not Rhaeto-Romansch) without the assistance of Google Translate. >:p
Back to Library books for us.
Eerdmans - You messed up, son.
You had ONE JOB in a 'story' where 90% of it (36 of 40 pages) is a two-page spread and a single name - the name of the bird depicted.
The illustrations are cute (artistic, not accurate), and the anklebiters enjoyed spotting the part of the cat on each page. But man, did I pay WAY too much for it, and it is definitely over-rated on GR. :(
(I'm not usually this stingy, but c'mon - I'm a North American, ffs, and not even an ornithologist or anything, and even I know the difference between a nuthatch and a blue tit. For N. Americans: blue tits are basically painted chickadees. Blue cap, yellow breast, blue back, black mask, green wings. Can't miss 'em.).
What REALLY frosts my cookies, though, is that I shelled out quite a lot of money for this, so I could get an English edition to read in Switzerland. And with that amount of textual content, I could have read it in French, Italian or German (but probably not Rhaeto-Romansch) without the assistance of Google Translate. >:p
Back to Library books for us.
Eerdmans - You messed up, son.
June 24, 2017
A cute little mix of cat and birds. Teaches kids that there are many different kinds of feathers, and keeps them occupied with trying to find out what kitty Plume is doing. As an adult, I enjoyed the pretty pictures! Received a copy on NetGalley.
April 19, 2018
Beautifully illustrated.
June 16, 2017
***** 4 Stars *****
Plume is a good book for a child interested in feathers. I like how it includes different types of feathers from the same bird. The illustrations are cute and not too cartoonish. I think it would be something that'll entertain a child for a couple minutes.
Plume is a good book for a child interested in feathers. I like how it includes different types of feathers from the same bird. The illustrations are cute and not too cartoonish. I think it would be something that'll entertain a child for a couple minutes.
December 21, 2024
Sweet, very short, kids book about bird feathers.
Beautiful illustrations as always from this author.
Beautiful illustrations as always from this author.
May 8, 2018
We checked out this fabulous book from the library yesterday and it got our youngest daughter, Fiona, excited about finding and identifying feathers (note that it is illegal to physically collect most bird feathers in the U.S. so photos and nature sketches are the best way for families to "collect" feathers!).
Plume, written and illustrated by Isabelle Simler, was New York Times selection for Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2017 and you’ll be able to see why. I just find it enchanting and simple, and Fiona is in love with it, too.
The book contains large pages of beautiful illustrations of birds and their feathers, along with occasional glimpses of their biggest fan, this black cat (no worries, he just likes the feathers for his overstuffed feather bed).
Ever since we got it, Fiona has been carrying it around, showing me her favorite feathers in the book, and trying to match up feathers that she’s spotted in our yard to the birds inside the book.
Plume has some common birds and their feathers, such as chickens, geese and jays, but it also contains images of some of the prettiest birds and feathers that are not likely to be found in our back yard, such as peacocks, swans and ibises.
I’ve already ordered a copy of the book for our house since I love it so much, but she was trying to identify a white and tan feather in the back yard today and I went looking for more comprehensive tools to help with feather ID.
(Review excerpt from my homeschooling site here: http://magicalchildhood.com/homeschoo... where I also shared online sites and other resources for identifying bird feathers)
Plume, written and illustrated by Isabelle Simler, was New York Times selection for Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2017 and you’ll be able to see why. I just find it enchanting and simple, and Fiona is in love with it, too.
The book contains large pages of beautiful illustrations of birds and their feathers, along with occasional glimpses of their biggest fan, this black cat (no worries, he just likes the feathers for his overstuffed feather bed).
Ever since we got it, Fiona has been carrying it around, showing me her favorite feathers in the book, and trying to match up feathers that she’s spotted in our yard to the birds inside the book.
Plume has some common birds and their feathers, such as chickens, geese and jays, but it also contains images of some of the prettiest birds and feathers that are not likely to be found in our back yard, such as peacocks, swans and ibises.
I’ve already ordered a copy of the book for our house since I love it so much, but she was trying to identify a white and tan feather in the back yard today and I went looking for more comprehensive tools to help with feather ID.
(Review excerpt from my homeschooling site here: http://magicalchildhood.com/homeschoo... where I also shared online sites and other resources for identifying bird feathers)
June 14, 2017
This is a wonderful book that introduces birds from exotic birds like a peacock to chickens. We see each bird, labelled, and a grouping of their feathers to show that all the feathers are not the same. As well the reader can play "Where's the cat" on each page. You do not see the full cat, perhaps just an ear or the tail. The cat is not trying to hunt the birds, but it seems they are observing along with the reader. At the end, we find out that the cat just wanted feathers to make a comfy pillow. The illustrations are wonderful. This is a great way to introduce bird watching, talk about types of feathers and their purposes, as well as where birds live, what they eat etc. I really liked this book and so did my grandson. When we went outside he started looking for birds and asking what is that one called. A wonderful book for a home, public or school library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
June 17, 2017
A bright, bold guide to bird feathers, told with humour reminiscent of Rosie's Walk.
On every double page spread, there is a picture of a bird and it's feathers. As a subtext, the birds are being stalked by a cat. She gets bolder throughout the book, reaching her paw out and stalking the birds. There is some gentle humour, eg. the turkey is so large it almost covers the cat.
I love the colour pallete - the pictures are big and bold, but the colours are toned-down. Cat stands out with her striking black coat and yellow eyes.
The ending is ambiguous. This works well - young readers can believe cat is an innocent collector of feathers whose only motive is to plump up her pillow. As a cat owner, I saw that large pillow, and heard the not-so-innocent tone in which cat introduces us to the extent of her collection.
Works well both as a factual book and a gentle story.
On every double page spread, there is a picture of a bird and it's feathers. As a subtext, the birds are being stalked by a cat. She gets bolder throughout the book, reaching her paw out and stalking the birds. There is some gentle humour, eg. the turkey is so large it almost covers the cat.
I love the colour pallete - the pictures are big and bold, but the colours are toned-down. Cat stands out with her striking black coat and yellow eyes.
The ending is ambiguous. This works well - young readers can believe cat is an innocent collector of feathers whose only motive is to plump up her pillow. As a cat owner, I saw that large pillow, and heard the not-so-innocent tone in which cat introduces us to the extent of her collection.
Works well both as a factual book and a gentle story.
September 21, 2017
I'm torn by this book. On the one hand, there are gorgeously detailed illustrations of the feathers of all different kinds of birds, but they are paired with illustrations of those birds that are not as detailed. The emphasis is on the individual feathers though. At the same time, on each page spread, with each new type of bird, there is a part of a black cat we can see following throughout the whole story. But when it gets to the end, the cat says he collects feathers because . There was just a disconnect for me. If this just had the feathers and birds, and maybe some back matter with more detailed information about those various types of birds or the uses for their feathers, I may have seen better how this could be used. As it is, it could be a cute story to share with kids, but I'm not sure it would be a purchase for me.
September 18, 2017
Recensione
Review
Libro bellissimo: senza bisogno di parole ci vengono presentati diversi tipi di uccelli e il piumaggio che li caratterizza.
In ogni pagina intravediamo un dettaglio estraneo... cosa sarà mai quell'ombra nera così interessata alle penne e alle piume?
Libro con illustrazioni realistiche e meravigliose, un piccolo gioiello.
Ringrazio l’editore per avermi fornito la copia necessaria per scrivere questa recensione.
Review
Libro bellissimo: senza bisogno di parole ci vengono presentati diversi tipi di uccelli e il piumaggio che li caratterizza.
In ogni pagina intravediamo un dettaglio estraneo... cosa sarà mai quell'ombra nera così interessata alle penne e alle piume?
Libro con illustrazioni realistiche e meravigliose, un piccolo gioiello.
Ringrazio l’editore per avermi fornito la copia necessaria per scrivere questa recensione.
November 28, 2019
I tend to really like picture books about birds, and this one was visually appealing and had a clever twist to it. Of the stack of books we had out of the library this fall, this was probably one of the top 3.
March 21, 2018
A gorgeous book with a surprise ending.
November 4, 2019
Nicely done, with a clever catch.
January 4, 2018
This is one book that made me fall in love with it just since of the cover illustration and since of the combination of cute cat with beautiful feathers I just wanted to open it up to read it. Unfortunately at the first I was actually quite disappointed with the book for the lack of the plot but soon the book's beautiful illustrations captured me.
This is one book that children will most definitely enjoy who are still into picture books for the words are really minimal. Instead the reader will find that there is a story being told by the illustrations, which are both helpful to teach the reader to various types of birds and what their feathers may look like when they aren't attached to the actual bird themselves.
At the same time the reader will be mesmerized by the cat who appears on every page whether it is an eyeful or just a mere invasion of a body part like whiskers or the tip of the nose. And although the book seems to be focused on birds you know that something else has to be going on with the cat but there are really no clues until you reach the end of the book itself.
Truly charming this book is a beautiful addition that birding adults may want to share with the little ones in their life and perhaps get the little ones in on learning the birds that live around them. And just maybe you may convince them to keep an eye out for feathers in the future whenever nature walks are shared by the whole family.
This is one book that children will most definitely enjoy who are still into picture books for the words are really minimal. Instead the reader will find that there is a story being told by the illustrations, which are both helpful to teach the reader to various types of birds and what their feathers may look like when they aren't attached to the actual bird themselves.
At the same time the reader will be mesmerized by the cat who appears on every page whether it is an eyeful or just a mere invasion of a body part like whiskers or the tip of the nose. And although the book seems to be focused on birds you know that something else has to be going on with the cat but there are really no clues until you reach the end of the book itself.
Truly charming this book is a beautiful addition that birding adults may want to share with the little ones in their life and perhaps get the little ones in on learning the birds that live around them. And just maybe you may convince them to keep an eye out for feathers in the future whenever nature walks are shared by the whole family.
November 7, 2020
This book looks at a variety of different birds, showing simple yet effective images of varieties of birds on one page and then beautiful images of their feathers on the other. On each page you can see a black cat in some form or another (sometimes his head, sometimes his tail or sometimes his paws).
It would be nice to use with younger children to look at different types of bird and see which ones they have seen before. I think children would love the aspect of the hidden cat and want to find it! Fortunately this cat, called Plume, just wants to get the birds feathers to fill his pillow.
The only thing which lets this book down is that there’s no details about the birds so only see what they look like and their name. This would however provide some research opportunities for children where they could choose a bird from the book that they like the look of and go on to research it and create a fact file.
It would be nice to use with younger children to look at different types of bird and see which ones they have seen before. I think children would love the aspect of the hidden cat and want to find it! Fortunately this cat, called Plume, just wants to get the birds feathers to fill his pillow.
The only thing which lets this book down is that there’s no details about the birds so only see what they look like and their name. This would however provide some research opportunities for children where they could choose a bird from the book that they like the look of and go on to research it and create a fact file.
February 19, 2019
This book first appears to be an ornithology reference book for young readers, as it presents different illustrations of birds and their names. However, lurking in the background is Plume, ready and waiting to collect some feathers. This makes for a fun and engaging tale of paying attention to detail and humor for young readers. It's great for those in grades PreK-2!
Review cross-listed here!
Review cross-listed here!
June 10, 2017
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Isabelle Simler's books are simply exquisite. This is the second I've had the pleasure of reviewing. The art in her books is so lovely and the stories are gentle and peaceful. Here we have many lovely birds, their delicate feathers, and a curious cat named Plume, but not for the reasons you may think.
Isabelle Simler's books are simply exquisite. This is the second I've had the pleasure of reviewing. The art in her books is so lovely and the stories are gentle and peaceful. Here we have many lovely birds, their delicate feathers, and a curious cat named Plume, but not for the reasons you may think.
March 30, 2018
Beautiful illustrations, but what an odd book! I have to think something was lost in translation; I'm all for dark children's books, but this one was unnecessarily ominous and the "unexpected" twist at the end seemed forced and insufficient. Also, the naturalist in me was quite irritated that the illustration of what was clearly a tit of some sort was labeled "nuthatch."
August 13, 2022
I absolutely loved this one and so did my daughter who is two months old. The illustrations are lovely and they held and captivated her attention. It’s the first book that I was able to have her actually focus on. I think it makes a great edition to a children’s collection. Especially for a newborn.
July 13, 2017
As a cat lover/owner, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which uses a handsome black cat to guide us through bird identification via the feathers from them that he has collected.
March 15, 2018
This is beautifully illustrated, simply worded. Each page shows a bird and the feathers they have. At the end, it shows a cat. He doesn't have feathers, but he collects them. And his name is Plume.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews