Encyclopedia of Birds: for Young Readers (Encyclopedias for Young Readers)

Youngsters love books about animals, and there are plenty of them, but there aren’t as many books about birds. This is a wonderful introduction for elementary school children, although the word “encyclopedia” in the title is a bit misleading. There are six major sections — Not All of Us Fly; Have Wings, Will Fly; We Live by the Waterside; Parrots; Songbirds; and Birds of Prey — and each section has from two to ten spreads. Each spread in this oversized (eleven by fifteen inches) book has an art panel with beautiful illustrations of six to nine birds. The drawings are detailed enough to give a good representation of each bird but are not photo quality. For each bird shown, there is a short paragraph on the top or bottom of the page with some basic information about the bird, just enough to whet the learning appetite of the reader, likely sending him or her on a quest for more information from other sources. The writing is conversational and welcoming for young readers, but the real star of the show is the wonderful illustrations that will draw readers in and keep them turning pages. Don’t miss this one.