Bird Watch: A Watercolor Counting Picture Book About Finding Hidden Birds and Forest Animals for Kids

by Christie Matheson

From the author of the acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree!

Count backward from ten as you search for hidden birds in this seek-and-find picture book. Delicate artwork, a focus on counting, and an engaging treasure hunt will entice fans of Bill Martin Jr’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Steve Light’s Have You Seen My Dragon?

There are treasures hiding in the trees! Can you find them? From the author of the acclaimed and bestselling Tap the Magic Tree, this stunning picture book merges basic math concepts with elements of a treasure hunt.

With different species of birds and other forest animals hiding in the trees and bushes, there is something new to discover on every page. Patience is rewarded as readers learn to count backward from ten, meet new birds, and learn about the diverse ecosystem of the forest. Beautiful watercolor-and-collage art, a playful counting text, and a search-and-find theme will inspire children and parents to return to Bird Watch again and again.

And for curious young birders, a page of information about bird-watching and the different birds that appear in the book is included.

Genres: Picture Books, Birds, Nature, Animals, Counting, Childrens, Storytime

48 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2019

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Writer. Illustrator.

Tap the Magic Tree
Touch the Brightest Star
Plant the Tiny Seed
Bird Watch
The Hidden Rainbow
Shelter

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful! The illustrations are lovely and the text is engaging. It is both a counting book (backwards from ten) and a seek-and-find book. Be advised that you really have to search hard to find some of these birds -- my four-year-old thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and was successful, but very young readers may struggle (and it would be impossible for a group story time). I appreciate the back matter with further information on birding and the types of birds depicted in the story. And I appreciate that, unlike some books for children, the birds are drawn with accuracy so that they would be easy to identify in the wild.

[Chance Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, the watercolor artwork doesn't mesh well with seek-n-find, but the seek-n-find is secondary to the story anyway.

[Megan Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful watercolors with interesting info on all the different birds at the end of the book. Both my bigger kids and toddler enjoyed the seek and find as some pages were a little hard for our youngest.

[Abby Johnson]

This would make a really great read for a family who likes to bird to introduce young children to some of the techniques and concepts involved. In each spread, there are things to find, whether birds (sometimes identified by their unique plumage) or other woodland creatures. It's not only a fun seek and find book, but a primer on how actual birders identify birds - with distinctive features, location of birds (on the ground, in a tree), etc. Back matter includes more information about birding and about the bird species seen in the book.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

For kids with lots of patience, this picture book is both a (math) concept book and a find-the-birds book. The counting goes in reverse, beginning with ten.
Lovely illustrations of realistic birds and their habitats.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bird Watch is a lovely watercolor-based picture book that gives children something to look for on each page. Whether they're hunting for sparrows or spying the stripy tailed wrens, they'll be using their counting and i-spy skills. The back matter includes much more about birds and birding, so don't forget to turn past the last page of the story! The full-color art in this book was created with watercolor paints and collages.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A counting "how to" with bird watching.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

Beautiful, soft watercolor illustrations that made it a bit difficult sometimes to actually see what you are supposed to be seeking (this is why I dropped it down a half a star). Perfect for one-on-one sharing. Great introduction to birding and talking about a day's rhythm. Counting backwards from 10 to 1.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extra-challenging seek-and-find combined with a counting book. The birds are difficult to pick out, which I really liked, because it seemed to mimic the difficulty of finding a bird in real life. Probably less easy to use with a big group than her other books, just due to the difficulty of the seeking.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book introducing the joys of bird identification and watching by asking children to find different kinds of birds on each page. Also incorporates simple counting. Beautifully done!

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bird Watch is a fantastic picture book that teaches you about ten beautiful birds you may encounter in your very own yard! You just have to slow down and take the time to look!

We countdown from ten as we are introduced to ten lovely birds, from the itty bitty chickadee to the great owl, and must find them hidden among the plants and trees. There are a few insects to find as well!

The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and make this fun look-and-find extra life-like. Could you spot all ten black-capped chickadees in the blackberry bushes and in the trees? Most of the birds blend easily into their natural surroundings which makes this a nice little challenge but it wasn't too difficult for my four-year-old.

There's also educational information at the end of the book about bird-watching - or 'birding' - and extra information about the ten birds it features!

This review was originally shared on my blog: Lazy Day Literature

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

BIRD WATCH teaches about some birds you might see if you look close enough. First, you have to step outside. Then, look to the trees or bushes. You might see a bird eating a seed or a worm. You might hear some singing.

Some illustrations are designed to be a "look and find" as if you were outside. You have to look closely to spot the birds that are hidden in the environment. In the back of the book, there's also more information on the different birds you might see round the yard.

I love that this book encourages children to get outside and take in the beauty nature has to offer. These day, electronics might interfere with a child's willingness to go outside, but BIRD WATCH will spark their curiosity. There's beauty all around us if we look close enough to see it.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of birds, playing outside, nature, and look-and-finds.

[Raven Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 3.5 to 4. While it is a lovely book which I enjoyed, there was something missing. The art is bright and bold. The prose fun. I was not paying attention and realized a few pages in it is a counting book as well as a "hide and seek" book. There are facts about birds as well. This would work on many levels (math and science) and can be adapted to the child's needs and will slightly grow with your child.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There are treasures hiding in the trees and on the ground and in the air. If you go outside and look carefully, you just might find them."

An introduction to the idea of bird-watching, with encouragement to go outside and find these feathered treasures, as well as some search and find bird-watching on the pages themselves. Pretty watercolor illustrations. Interactive, and therefore, interesting for young readers.

[Zoraida Rivera Morales · Rating 3 out of 5]

The greatest assets of this book is that it not only teaches about birds, but it is, also, a book to play with finding the different birds. It has backmatter about the different birds presented in the book.

I think it's a good book. Would have liked a more polished language throughout the book as it was at the beginning. I found the emphasis on looking for the birds right on the text distracting.

The book offers the reader the opportunity to count backwards, too.

[Connie T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using watercolor illustrations of birds, flowers, and gardens, this picture book invites young readers to explore the outside world. Each page is a visual feast of birds in their natural habitats and asks readers to find 10 chickadees, 6 robins, and more. The back story gives details on the ten birds highlighted in the text. A great can-you-find book but also an introduction to field guides for the youngest of naturalists.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that almost has a look-and-find quality to it. Really gorgeous illustrations of birds in the wild that you try to locate amongst the foliage. I feel like this is best as a one-on-one read, rather than in a storytime, so you can see the details in the pictures. This could get a kiddo excited about birding!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author/illustrator challenges the reader to observe carefully to see birds and other creatures in nature. The watercolor paintings are beautiful. A reverse counting look-and-find book, the reader must discover 10 chickadees, 9 bluebirds, and so on. Some birds in the book were difficult to spot--as is certainly the case outdoors. Borrow from public library.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be fair, I never actually read this one with Stella - my mom had read it with her, and it was on our book shelf for 3 weeks but Stella never wanted to read it with me, which says she was not very into it. My mom said the pages ask you to look for different birds, but that they're hard to find and sometimes not even actually on the page.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book introduces you to a wide variety of birds native to North America. It's a basic counting and I Spy book that has the reader interact with the story on each page (similar to Matheson's other books). We love birds in our family and we enjoy listening to them in the early morning and caring for them with a full bird feeder. =)

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief introduction to ten common backyard birds that can begin your joy of birding. In the appended material there is a brief paragraph about each species discussed in the title. Great title to share with a young one about your love of birding. Illustrations done in watercolors with addd collages.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a seek-and-find picture book that features ten common birds. Minimal text invites readers to look for a countdown of birds in each watercolor spread from ten chickadees hiding in a pine tree to one owl soaring in the night sky. Additional info about birding and birds follows the story.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nifty book - a little bit of math, a little bit of ornithology, some seeking and finding, and an overall plot to the story. I didn't *love* the illustrations, but they are quite pretty - and a decent challenge to find everything we're supposed to be looking for.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous watercolor mixed with collage illustrations of backyard birds. Facts about these birds are found at the end. Can be used as an “I spy” book as the birds are hiding in nature on each page. Author tells you how many there are to find.

[Emily Scarth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. Using counting, and “I spy” type of things to go throughout the book. Looking for certain birds in their normal habitat. Good for introducing a few types of birds while counting and searching.

[Sandy]

This beautifully illustrated book teaches children about different types of birds, nature and also has a counting and hide and seek element to it. My young children enjoyed finding the birds among the tree branches.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good fit for pre-K-first grade who like nature and seek and find books. I can imagine a caregiver/family member who has numerous bird feeders outside the kitchen reading this to a little one who comes to visit for the afternoon.

[E & E’s Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautifully illustrated book! Elliot loves birds, so we liked finding the hidden warblers, wrens, robins, and other birds. This is definitely a great book for toddlers up to kindergarten or even older.

* this was a library book
* age: Elliot was 1.5 years old

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the text was a little clumsy but I like how interactive this book is.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A counting book and an introduction to birding.