Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Home > Books > The Big Book of Birds

The Big Book of Birds

Book Synopsis

Why is a flamingo pink? Can a parrot talk? Is a bald eagle really bald? This follow-up to the hugely successful The Big Book of Bugs, The Big Book of Beasts and The Big Book of the Blue answers these questions and many more. It opens with introductory spreads explaining how to recognize different bird’s eggs, the bird family tree, why different species of birds have different beaks and feathers, and why some birds migrate and travel vast distances every year. Subsequent spreads, illustrated with various habitats, are dedicated to specific varieties of bird, including hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, albatrosses and red-crowned cranes. Some will teach children how to spot different birds within a specific variety, for example how to differentiate the American robin from the European robin. Others explore bird habitats, for example showing how birds adapt to live in cities. Finally, the book invites young bird spotters to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird friendly. This is a big, beautiful book to look at again and again.

Our Review Panel says...

The Big Book of Birds is a delight for readers young and old. This visually appealing information book showcases the splendour of all sorts of birds, from flamingoes and kingfishers to red-crowned cranes and hoopoes.

Part of a series that also includes The Big Book of Bugs and The Big Book of the Blue, this is the kind of book that is magnetic in drawing in readers in a primary classroom. Yuval Zommer’s winning formula combines vibrant and quirky illustrations with short bursts of accessible text, united in a large-sized compendium that is perfect to gather round and pore over.

Each double-page spread dives into a different avian-themed question, such as ‘Why can’t some birds fly?’, ‘Is a bald eagle really bald?’ and ‘Why does a bird have a beak instead of lips?’. There is never too much text on each page, but what you find is accessible chunks of information interspersed into each illustrated scene. There are interactive aspects too, with extra elements to spot throughout the book. The illustrations are filled with visual delights for young eyes, with text and images working together to build an understanding of the amazing diversity of the bird family tree as well as well-explained insights into their fascinating behaviours and habitats.

A winner of a book to treasure and share, this is highly recommended for readers across the whole primary school.