Best of
Birds

2021

Mel Fell


Corey R. Tabor - 2021
    A tale about self-confidence and taking a leap of faith, starring a kingfisher.Sometimes, you might falldown,down,down,before you learn to flyup,up,up…

A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird


Rosemary Mosco - 2021
    You don't need to travel to experience the joy of bird-watching: just take a look at the pigeons in your nearby park! With this quirky but scientifically correct field guide to the most common bird in most cities, you'll learn to see pigeons and doves with a bird-watcher's expertise, understanding their (fascinating) behavior and appreciating nature right outside your window.

Chez Bob


Bob Shea - 2021
    series comes a kid-pleasing read-aloud about a devious alligator who learns to love! Welcome to Chez Bob, which seems like a real restaurant ... until you realize ... it's on an alligator's NOSE! Bob's got a hidden plan for his customers: "Birds will come to eat, but I will eat the birds!" As they fly in from all over the world to dine on Bob's face, something starts to happen that takes the lazy, hungry reptile by surprise—the birds stay. "More yummy birds!" he rejoices—he'll want for nothing! But when the time is right, will Bob make the right choice? Comic genius Bob Shea cooks up a tasty tale that proves anyone, even hungry alligators, can have a change of heart and learn to be a good friend.

A Most Remarkable Creature: The Hidden Life and Epic Journey of the World’s Smartest Birds of Prey


Jonathan Meiburg - 2021
    Darwin wondered why these birds were confined to remote islands at the tip of South America, sensing a larger story, but he set this mystery aside and never returned to it. Almost two hundred years later, Jonathan Meiburg takes up this chase. He takes us through South America, from the fog-bound coasts of Tierra del Fuego to the tropical forests of Guyana, in search of these birds: striated caracaras, which still exist, though they're very rare. He reveals the wild, fascinating story of their history, origins, and possible futures. And along the way, he draws us into the life and work of William Henry Hudson, the Victorian writer and naturalist who championed caracaras as an unsung wonder of the natural world, and to falconry parks in the English countryside, where captive caracaras perform incredible feats of memory and problem-solving. A Most Remarkable Creature is a hybrid of science writing, travelogue, and biography, as generous and accessible as it is sophisticated, and absolutely riveting.

A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds


Scott Weidensaul - 2021
    What we’ve learned of these key migrations—how billions of birds circumnavigate the globe, flying tens of thousands of miles between hemispheres on an annual basis—is nothing short of extraordinary.Bird migration entails almost unfathomable endurance, like a sparrow-sized sandpiper that will fly nonstop from Canada to Venezuela—the equivalent of running 126 consecutive marathons without food, water, or rest—avoiding dehydration by "drinking" moisture from its own muscles and organs, while orienting itself using the earth’s magnetic field through a form of quantum entanglement that made Einstein queasy. Crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days of nonstop flight, as some birds do, leaves little time for sleep, but migrants can put half their brains to sleep for a few seconds at a time, alternating sides—and their reaction time actually improves.These and other revelations convey both the wonder of bird migration and its global sweep, from the mudflats of the Yellow Sea in China to the remote mountains of northeastern India to the dusty hills of southern Cyprus. This breathtaking work of nature writing from Pulitzer Prize finalist Scott Weidensaul also introduces readers to those scientists, researchers, and bird lovers trying to preserve global migratory patterns in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges.Drawing on his own extensive fieldwork, in A World on the Wing Weidensaul unveils with dazzling prose the miracle of nature taking place over our heads.

Rissy No Kissies


Katey Howes - 2021
    But kisses make Rissy uncomfortable. Can one little lovebird show everyone that there's no one right way to show you care?Rissy No Kissies carries the message that "your body and your heart are yours, and you choose how to share." A note at the end provides further information for kids, parents, and educators about body autonomy, consent, and different ways to show affection.

The Hummingbirds' Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings


Sy Montgomery - 2021
    The lightest birds in the sky, hummingbirds are capable of incredible feats, such as flying backwards, diving at speeds of sixty-one MPH, and beating their wings more than sixty times a second. Miraculous creatures, they are also incredibly vulnerable when they first emerge from their eggs. That’s where Brenda Sherburn comes in.With tenderness and patience, she rescues abandoned hummingbirds and nurses them back to health until they can fly away and live in the wild. In The Hummingbird’s Gift, the care that Brenda provides her peanut-sized patients is revealed and, in the process, shows us just how truly amazing hummingbirds are.

The Beak Book


Robin Page - 2021
    But what do all of these beaks do? Discover how beaks of different shapes and sizes are adapted to help birds sip nectar, make nests, battle for mates, and more!

Of a Feather


Dayna Lorentz - 2021
    Great horned owl Rufus is eight months old and still can’t hunt. When his mother is hit by a car, he discovers just how dangerous the forest can be. Reenie has given up on adults and learned how to care for herself—a good thing, since she’s sent to live with an aunt she’s never met. Yet this aunt has a wonderful secret: she’s a falconer who agrees to help Reenie catch an injured passage hawk in the wild and rehabilitate it. When Reenie traps bedraggled Rufus, his eyes lock onto her heart, and they form a powerful friendship. But can Rufus learn to trust in the outside world and fly free? And can Reenie open her heart enough to truly soar?

A Honk In Your Heart: The Wisdom of Alex the Honking Bird


Annika Howells - 2021
    

Birds of a Feather


Sita Singh - 2021
    While all the other peacocks grew bright, bold, beautiful feathers in rich greens and vibrant blues, Mo's feathers grew in a snowy white. And even though Mo's friends try to include him in their playtime, Mo doesn't like to be reminded that he's different from his friends. But when a storm threatens to ruin the group's annual celebration, Mo must learn to stand tall, strut his stuff, and shake his brilliantly glowing tail feathers--in a way only he can--to help his friends and set things right.From debut author Sita Singh, and brought to life by Stephanie Fizer Coleman, comes a story about finding strength in the things that make us different, and beauty in all its forms.

The Hummingbird Handbook: Everything You Need to Know about These Fascinating Birds


John Shewey - 2021
    Gardeners, too, love the company of hummingbirds, not only for their beauty, but also for their role as pollinators. Brimming with astonishing facts, practical advice, and important ecological information, The Hummingbird Handbook is a must-have guide to attracting, understanding, and protecting hummingbirds. From advice on feeders to planting and landscaping techniques that will have your garden whirring with tiny wings, lifelong birder John Shewey provides all you need to know to entice these delightful creatures. An identification guide makes them easy to spot in the wild, with stunning photographs, details on plumage variations, and range maps showing habitats and migration patterns. Need more joy in your life? Let this guide and nature’s aerial jewels help you create a lively haven.

When Grandfather Flew


Patricia MacLachlan - 2021
     Milo's grandfather is fascinated by birds. He admires their freedom and never loses an opportunity to point out the things that make each one special.When he can no longer see as well as he used to, Milo helps him spot and take care of some of his favorites: hovering kestrels, fragile chickadees, and the bald eagle soaring high overhead.One day when Milo comes home, Grandpa isn't there.But when the boy sees an eagle swooping through the sky above, he knows Grandpa is still with them: reborn in the skies, just as he'd wanted.This honest, reflective, and deeply moving portrait of grief offers young readers comfort and hope in difficult times. When Grandfather Flew celebrates the close, beautiful relationships between children and grandparents, and the unique ways we keep lost loved ones close.With a lyrical text by acclaimed author Patricia MacLachlan and vivid, textural artwork by Chris Sheban, this wistful story will resonate with anyone who has felt the loss of a loved one-- and will remind you to look for the reminders of the love you shared.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Penguin Bloom


Chris Kunz - 2021
    But you can't. And that's what happened to us.Penguin Bloom tells the true story of Sam Bloom, a young mother whose world is turned upside down after a near-fatal accident leaves her unable to walk. Sam's husband, her three young boys and her mother are struggling to adjust to their new situation when an unlikely ally enters their world in the form of an injured baby magpie they name Penguin. The bird's arrival is a welcome distraction for the Bloom family, eventually making a profound difference in the family's life.

My Brother Ben


Peter Carnavas - 2021
    Quiet Luke sketches birds, while Ben leaps off the Jumping Tree. The boys couldn’t be more different but they share the same dream: winning a boat so they can explore the creek properly.Then Ben starts high school and the boys drift apart. When Luke catches Ben sneaking out at night, he knows his brother's up to something, but what?A timeless story of birds and boats, and of brotherly love that is bigger than a wedge-tailed eagle, bigger than the sky.

The Book of the Raven: Corvids in Art and Legend


Angus Hyland - 2021
    We keep ravens in towers, emblazon rooks on banners, find crows in the constellations, and make sure to salute solitary magpies. We also see our own behavior mirrored in this diverse family of birds, who are tricksters and thieves as well as problem-solvers and gift-givers.This beautifully designed book showcases the visual and literary life of the corvid, from Norse legends to Game of Thrones. It includes beautiful and darkly seductive photographs and paintings as well as texts and poems in which they play a starring role and information about the traits that make them so intriguing to us.

A Peek at Beaks: Tools Birds Use


Sara Levine - 2021
    But birds have surprisingly helpful tools with them at all times--their beaks!Guess which birds have beaks resembling commonly used tools in this playful picture book from award-winning author Sara Levine. Delightfully detailed collage artwork by Kate Slater helps this book take flight!

Comparrotives (A Grammar Zoo Book)


Janik Coat - 2021
    As with the previous books in the series, Comparrotives features surprising touch-and-feel novelty elements throughout—making the comparatives concept easy and fun to learn.

Goshawk Summer: A New Forest Season Unlike Any Other


James Aldred - 2021
    James Aldred’s account of a season spent filming Britain’s most powerful and mesmerising avian predator shines with the shifting complexities of weather, season, mood and place. In these dark times, it’s a beautiful and deeply evocative hymn to love, hope and connection.’ HELEN MACDONALD, author of H is for Hawk___In early 2020, wildlife cameraman James Aldred was commissioned to film the lives of a family of Goshawks in the New Forest, his childhood home. He began to plan a treetop hide in a remote site that would allow him to film the Gos nest, the newly hatched chicks and the lives of these elusive and enchanting birds.Then lockdown. And as the world retreated, something remarkable happened. The noise of our everyday stilled. No more cars, no more off-roaders, no more airplanes roaring in the skies, no one in the Goshawk woods – except James.At this unique moment, James was granted a once in a lifetime opportunity to keep filming. And so, over Spring and into Summer, he began to record his experiences in a place empty of people but filled with birdsong and new life.Amidst the fragility and the fear, there was silver moonlight, tumbling fox cubs, calling curlew and, of course, the soaring Goshawks – shining like fire through one of our darkest times. A Goshawk summer unlike any other.

So You Want to Be an Owl


Jane Porter - 2021
    Study hard, and soon you'll be a first-rate member of Team Owl! This engaging nonfiction picture book is full of vibrant, humorous illustrations and owl lessons that will have readers eagerly practicing their hoots, toe swivels, and alertness (even if they can't grow feathers).

Quail Party!


Der-shing Helmer - 2021
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Birds


Tim Flach - 2021
    Working for years in his studio and the field, Tim Flach has portrayed nature’s most exquisite creatures alertly at rest or dramatically in flight, capturing intricate feather patterns and subtle coloration invisible to the naked eye. From familiar friends to marvelous rarities, Flach’s birds convey the beauty and wonder of the natural world. Here are all manner of songbirds, parrots, and birds of paradise; birds of prey, water birds, and theatrical domestic breeds. The brilliant ornithologist Richard O. Prum is our guide to this magical kingdom.

A Garden to Save the Birds


Wendy McClure - 2021
    They also learn that the United States has lost a lot of birds in recent years--and that there are lots of things their family can do to help. First, they set out feeders and make the windows safe. Then, for the winter, they build a little shelter and put out a heated birdbath. By springtime, all kinds of birds are visiting their yard! But with such a big problem, is there more they can do to make a difference?

Birds on Wishbone Street


Suzanne Del Rizzo - 2021
    Sami isn’t quite ready to talk about his past, but he loves birds just as much as Moe does. And who wouldn’t have fun in a parkette full of packing snow? When the children discover a female cardinal stunned by the cold, Sami uses his experience taking care of pigeons in Syria to help rescue the bird―an incident that helps Sami to feel more at home.In Birds on Wishbone Street, author/illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo demonstrates the power of an act of kindness, telling a story about finding home and making friends in new places. Illustrated with her signature polymer clay art, the story revisits characters from Del Rizzo’s New York Times Notable My Beautiful Birds and reminds us that we’re all more similar than we are different.

National Audubon Society Birds of North America


National Audubon Society - 2021
    An indispensable reference, it covers more than 800 species, with over 3,500 full-color photographs of birds in their natural habitat, often with four or five images of each species.For ease of use, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a ribbon marker, and is arranged according to the American Ornithological Society's latest Checklist of North and Middle American Birds--with birds sorted by taxonomic orders and grouped by family, so that related species are presented together. Range maps, reflecting the impact of climate change, accompany nearly every entry, along with a physical description and information on voice, nesting, habitat, and similar species. This guide also includes an important new category on conservation status and essays by leading scholars in each field who provide holistic insights into the world of birds.Whether trying to determine which owl is interrupting your dinner or successfully identifying all of the warblers that arrive in spring, readers will come to rely on this work of remarkable breadth, depth, and elegance. It is a must-have reference for the library of any birder, and is poised to become the number one guide in the field.

Celebrating Birds: The Wingspan Field Guide and Outdoor Birding Game


Natalia Rojas - 2021
    Celebrating Birds is the ultimate companion to the game for fans, as well as a beautiful and in-depth field guide for avian and nature enthusiasts.In addition to large-size representations of each bird and the most up-to-date bird descriptions provided by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Celebrating Birds includes a step-by-step guide that can be used to take the game into the real world. Players can collect points based on the birds, nests, and various habitat and feeding clues they find outside.Artists and best friends Natalia Rojas and Ana Maria Martinez collaborated to create the beautiful depictions featured in the original Wingspan board game. Celebrating Birds features larger illustrations of the 170 North American birds from the game, plus eleven exciting new birds.With Celebrating Birds, players and amateur naturalists can discover details about many of the birds currently at risk for extinction. As the number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined precipitously, Celebrating Birds is a fun way to raise awareness, educate, encourage activism, and provide resources on some of the most important ecological issues facing us today.

Waiting for a Warbler


Sneed B. Collard III - 2021
    One of them is a Cerulean warbler. He will lose more than half his body weight even if the journey goes well. Aloft over the vast ocean, the birds encourage each other with squeaky chirps that say, “We are still alive. We can do this.”Owen’s family watches televised reports of a great storm over the Gulf of Mexico, fearing what it may mean for migrating songbirds. In alternating spreads, we wait and hope with Owen, then struggle through the storm with the warbler.  This moving story with its hopeful ending appeals to us to preserve the things we love. The backmatter includes a North American bird migration map, birding information for kids, and guidance for how native plantings can transform yards into bird and wildlife habitat.

Garden Allies: The Insects, Birds, and Other Animals That Keep Your Garden Beautiful and Thriving


Frédérique Lavoipierre - 2021
    They pollinate our flowers and vegetable crops, and they keep pests in check. In Garden Allies, Frédérique Lavoipierre shares fascinating portraits of these creatures, describing their life cycles and showing how they keep the garden’s ecology in balance. Also included is helpful information on how to nurture and welcome these valuable creatures into your garden. With beautiful pen-and-ink drawings by Craig Latker, Garden Allies invites you to make friends with the creatures that fill your garden—the reward is a renewed sense of nature’s beauty and a garden humming with life.

Don't Call Me Fuzzybutt!


Robin Newman - 2021
    The weather is getting cool and he's ready for a nice long nap--he's got earmuffs and a brand-new door to keep out the noise, plus a pair of fluffy slippers. Meanwhile, real estate mogul Woodpecker finds his recent homes...missing. And he follows the trail of debris right to Bear's new front door. When he "tap tap taps" to talk to Bear about it, the two engage in a feisty exchange of name-calling and gossip with the rest of their forest neighbors. Can they patch it up--literally--before Bear loses too much sleep?

Who is Singing?


Janet Halfmann - 2021
    Every bird's song is different. Bird songs often sound like familiar words. That makes it easier for us to tell Who Is Singing?This book is a celebration of birds and their songs. Young children love hearing and repeating the sounds that animals make. While enjoying the musical sounds of birds, children will learn that the song of each bird is different. Children may even learn to recognize some of the songs. This book also includes interesting facts about the birds written in lyrical prose, plus more fun info in the back matter.

On Gallows Down: Place, Protest and Belonging


Nicola Chester - 2021
    It is about the songs of the nightingale and cuckoo - whose return she waits for - the red kites, fieldfares, skylarks and lapwings that accompany her, the badger cubs she watches at night and the velvety mole she finds in her garden.And it is also the story of how Nicola came to write and to protest - unearthing the seam of resistance that ran through Newbury's past, from the Civil Wars to the Swing Riots and the women of the Greenham Common Peace Camps and to the fight against the Newbury bypass. A resistance that continues today against the destruction of hedgerows, trees and wildlife through modern farm estate management.On Gallows Down is perfect for fans of H is for Hawk, The Salt Path and Featherhood.'It is impossible to write with integrity about nature without protesting and resisting and waving a desperate red flag.Isn't it?'

The Screaming Sky


Charles Foster - 2021
    They inhabit the air like nothing on the planet. They watched the continents shuffle to their present places and the mammals evolve.They are not ours, though we like to claim them. They defy all our categories, and present no passports as they surf the winds across the worlds. They sleep in the high thin air - their wings controlled by an alert half-brain.This is a radical new look at the Common Swift - a numerous but profoundly un-common bird - by Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast.Foster follows the swifts throughout the world, manically, lyrically, yet scientifically. The poetry of swifts is in their facts, and this book, in Little Toller's monograph series, draws deeply on the latest extraordinary discoveries.

Once Upon a Time...There Was a Little Bird


Maja Andersen - 2021
    She has to find shelter, but will any trees offer her a safe place to rest? This charming retelling of a Native American tale of why evergreen trees keep their leaves in winter teaches children about the importance of being kind and sharing.This story is the perfect length for bedtime reading, and Maja Andersen's colorful illustrations bring the magic and wonder of the tale to life. It is sure to be a storybook that little ones will treasure forever.

I Am a Bird


Hope Lim - 2021
    Ca-Caw! Ca-Caw!Every day, a little girl rides to school on the back of her father’s bike. As they twist and turn through the streets, the little girl spreads her arms like wings and sings her birdsong for all to hear. But when they pass a strange woman in blue who carries a mysterious bag, the girl goes quiet until the woman is out of sight. One day, when they’re running late, the little girl discovers what the woman does with her bag each morning—a surprise that transforms her wariness into a feeling of kinship to be celebrated. Hope Lim’s simple text and Hyewon Yum’s delicate, expressive illustrations create a touching story that encourages readers to embrace our similarities rather than focus on our differences.

Fernando's Birds: Photographs & Tales


Fernando Ortega - 2021
    In “Fernando’s Birds,” he takes the reader from the bosques, canyons and mountains of his native New Mexico to the Florida swamps to assemble something akin to a family album of birds. From the common House Finch to the beautiful Lazuli Bunting, each photograph reveals distinguished characters with a back story in a way you may not have imagined birds before. Coupled with his witty, sometimes poignant observations and tales, the over 70 photographs included here will keep you amused and engaged. Best known for his work as a songwriter, singer, composer, and arranger of Christian music, Fernando Ortega here shows his reverence for and delight in the wondrous creatures who share our world.

Bird: Exploring the Winged World


Phaidon Editors - 2021
    Including Tweety pie paired with the Twitter bird; birds as 300-foot desert carvings or 2-inch-tall ivory statuettes; bird bones, bird bank notes, sculptures and birds shaped as beds, the book’s three hundred visually stunning entries span four thousand years of fine art, photography, ornithological drawings, popular culture, and scientific discovery from all corners of the globe to create the ultimate celebration of the winged world.

The Woodcock


Richard Smyth - 2021
    John Lowell, a naturalist who writes articles on the flora and fauna of the shoreline, and his wife Harriet lead a simple life, basking in their love for each other and enjoying the company of John's visiting old school friend, David. But when an American whaler arrives in town with his beautiful red-haired daughters, boasting of his plans to build a pier and pleasure-grounds a mile out to sea, unexpected tensions and temptations arise. As secrets multiply, Harriet, John and David must each ask themselves, what price is to be paid for pleasure?

100 Flying Birds: Photographing the Mechanics of Flight


Peter Cavanagh - 2021
    I strive to illustrate the beauty and complexity of avian flight. -- Peter Cavanagh100 Flying Birds: Photographing the Mechanics of Flight offers a vivid and varied glimpse into the world of birds. A white-tailed eagle plummeting through a Japanese sky, a brown pelican striking a silhouette against an Ecuadorian sunset, an Atlantic puffin carrying its fish dinner above the Scottish coast, or a keel-billed toucan gliding through a Costa Rican jungle canopy; readers will marvel at the splendor of birds in flight while learning the techniques to capture these gravity-defying moments from a world-class nature photographer.For each picture, author and photographer Peter Cavanagh shares his most evocative thoughts: the challenges of the shoot, the beauty of the location, and the curiosities of the species. Bird people will enjoy the bird photographs and facts, travelers will gobble up the tales of distant parts, and photographers will absorb the technical details. For instance, readers might be surprised to see that a very slow shutter speed can freeze the motion of hummingbird wings.Peter Cavanagh has collected 100 beautiful photos spanning a wide range of species. The subjects of each of the 11 chapters are:Eagles Hummingbirds Gulls and Terns Small Waterbirds Large Waterbirds Ducks, Geese and Swans Raptors Condors and Corvids Cranes Songbirds Favorites Through his photographic lens, Peter illuminates the beauty, grace and elegance of birds in flight, building on his knowledge and expertise as a biomechanist and avocations as an airplane pilot and photographer.... His lovely photographs are complemented by engaging prose that provides fascinating historical contexts of his subjects, their flight ecology and conservation status, and guidance for aspiring wildlife photographers on best practices and photographic equipment needed to capture the exceptional quality of the images he shares in his book. -- Andrew A. Biewener, Lyman Professor of Biology, Harvard Universitya must read for anyone who has ever marveled at a bird in flight, on the hunt or soaring in the wind. Peter Cavanagh has married his insight as a kinesiologist and as a pilot, to his exceptional talent as a photographer, bringing the reader astonishing photographs of birds from every corner of the globe. -- Eva J. Pell, Former Undersecretary for Science, Smithsonian InstitutionWhat a lavish production, and a dedication to birds and their flight, by a committed photographer and bird-lover with a consuming passion and the latest equipment to capture their marvel in flight. A perfect combination. Perusing this gorgeous book will make your spirit soar. I especially liked the intimate stories associated with each of the stunning photographs. The book is a delight to the eyes, mind and spirit. -- Bernd Heinrich, Professor Emeritus in Biology, University of Vermont and author of Winter World.

Peterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests


Casey McFarland - 2021
    The diversity of nests and nesting strategies of birds reflect the unique biology and evolution of these charismatic animals. Unlike any other book currently on the market, this guide comprehensively incorporates nest design, breeding behavior, and habitat preferences of North American birds to provide the reader with a highly functional field resource and an engaging perspective of this sensitive part of a bird’s life cycle.

Loon Lessons: Uncommon Encounters with the Great Northern Diver


James D. Paruk - 2021
    And those who marvel at the loon’s diving prowess might wonder why this bird has such skill, or where loons go when they must leave northern lakes in winter. For these and so many other mysteries, Loon Lessons provides evolutionary and ecological explanations that are curious and compelling. Written by one of the world’s foremost experts on the subject, the book is a compendium of knowledge about the common loon and an engaging record of scientific sleuthing, documenting more than twenty-five years of research into the great northern diver.James D. Paruk has observed and compared loons from Washington and Saskatchewan to the coasts of California and Louisiana, from high elevation deserts in Nevada to mountain lakes in Maine. Drawing on his extensive experience, a wealth of data, and well-established scientific principles, he considers every aspect of the loon, from its plumage and anatomy to its breeding, migration, and wintering strategies. Here, in the first detailed scientific account of the common loon in more than thirty years, Paruk describes its biology in an accessible and entertaining style that affords a deeper understanding of this beautiful and mysterious bird’s natural history and annual life cycle.

Words of the World: Birds


Motomitsu Maehara - 2021
    Oiseau. Pájaro. In this delightful board book, explore words of the world and learn the names of a variety of colorful birds in the six most widely spoken languages.Curious minds will love the playful, brightly colored collages and multilingual exploration of birds and their names from around the world.This beautiful board book pairs gorgeous collages of eighteen types of birds with their names across the six most popular languages worldwide: English, Spanish, French, Hindi, Chinese (Mandarin), and Arabic, as well as the language of universal friendship, Esperanto.This book is the perfect size for little hands, and children (and parents) will enjoy testing out each word and identifying similarities in sounds across languages as well as the names that stand out.The Words of the World board book series encourages multilingual exploration and curiosity about our world among young readers. Each book promotes language learning through playful and sophisticated collages and even includes phonetic pronunciation for Hindi, Chinese, and Arabic.Language is a powerful tool that binds us together across cultures, and developing our skills beyond a single language helps us to expand our ability to:-Problem-solve and use critical-thinking skills-Consider other people’s perspectives-Become aware of our surroundingsA perfect gift to help spark curiosity, a love of learning, and language skills in young readers. Printed on FSC-certified paper with vegetable inks.

100 Australian Birds


Georgia Angus - 2021
    From the outside, this strange hobby of birdwatching appears to consist of sizeable camera lenses, khaki pants that are pulled up too high, and gruelling treks in pursuit of rare bird species. But for those who haven't been scared off by jumbo field guides and excessive terminology, this book is for you.Carefully tailored to guide birdwatchers anywhere in Australia, this book reveals insights into one hundred key native species with lush illustrations and accessible descriptions. As well as the author's original illustrations, there are distribution maps, identification methods, behavioral information and contributions from First Nations people on Taungurung, Gumbaynggirr and Wiradjuri names for particular birds.100 Australian Birds is for anyone interested in birds, culture, history or our environment, but without the geekspeak.Foreword by Australia's leading scientist Professor Tim Flannery.

A Sky Full of Kites: A Rewilding Story


Tom Bowser - 2021
    By the early 1900s they'd been wiped out in Scotland and England following centuries of ruthless persecution. When some reintroduced kites began roosting on their 1,400-acre farm at Argaty in Perthshire, Tom Bowser's parents, Lynn and Niall, decided to turn their estate into a safe haven. They began feeding the birds and invited the world to come and see them, learn about them and fall in love with them.A Sky Full of Kites is the story of the Argaty Red Kite project, and the re-establishing of these magnificent raptors to Scotland, but it is also much more than that. Ill at ease with the traditional rural values of livestock farming, Lynn and Niall's son Tom, who returned to work on the farm after a career in journalism, reveals his passion for nature and his desire to dedicate his family's land to conservation.

The Crow and the Peacock


Jo Fernihough - 2021
    Could it be the lovely dove, the musical nightingale, or the elegant swan? But each bird has their own reason to not be content, even the glamorous peacock. Perhaps all of Crow’s searching will help him discover the real secret to happiness.The Crow and the Peacock retells a classic fable.

An Aussie Christmas Gum Tree


Jackie Hosking - 2021
    

Getting Closer: Rediscovering Nature Through Bird Photography


Paul Sorrell - 2021
    With a focus on birds, the book is directed primarily at photographers (of all levels of skill and experience), but also at birders, people interested in the outdoors, and those who would simply like to achieve a deeper connection with the natural world. The introduction makes the case for reconnecting with nature in a way that will draw in a wide range of readers, not just photographers. We have to reconnect, as most of us have lost the spontaneous bond with nature we enjoyed as young children and, in the face of impending ecological disaster, reconnecting with nature is our most urgent task. The author offers a simple, practical path for readers to begin to ‘rewild’ themselves. This is the focus of the second part of the book, where the author explores ways of becoming attentive to the natural world around you, wherever you may live. Through self-contained spreads on topics ranging from ‘the four seasons’ and ‘winds and tides’ to ‘flight shots’ and ‘colour and texture’, he introduces basic, hands-on techniques that, with practice, will enable readers to both deeply connect with their environment and become proficient wildlife photographers. ‘Top tips’ on each spread provide technical information aimed at more serious photographers.

The Eternal Season: Ghosts of Summers Past, Present and Future


Stephen Rutt - 2021
    And so Stephen Rutt sets out to explore the natural world during its moment of fullest bloom. Butterflies and dragonflies add colour to his days; moths and bats lift the warm nights; swallows, nightjars and wood warblers fill the forests and skies.What Stephen notices too, however, are the many ways in which the season is becoming deranged by a changed and changing climate: the wrong birds singing at the wrong time; August days as cold as February; the creeping disturbances that we may not notice while nature still has some voice.The Eternal Season is both a celebration of summer and a warning of the unravelling of this beautiful web of abundant life. This is a book that sings with love and careful observation, with an eye on all that we might lose but also save.

Plume: World Explorer: World Explorer


Tania McCartney - 2021
    This exciting new series for little ones celebrates culture, diversity and the natural wonders of our world. Plume is not your typical Antarctic penguin. He loves to cook, read, knit sweaters and ice skate, and he sports a yellow plume on top of his head. Plume is bored of black and white, and of shuffling and snoozing on icebergs. He craves color, adventure, excitement! He wants to seize the world he's discovered between the pages of his fantastical Antarctic library (the largest in the Southern Hemisphere). Plume's greatest hope is to grow the hearts and minds of anyone who joins him in boarding the Albatross Express. Through his travels, children will engage with themes such as friendship, acceptance and the wellbeing of our planet. This is a book series for our times.

Picnic for Parrots


Allison Sojka - 2021
    It was here at last - the big picnic day.In the jungle, so lovely, this Thursday in May...Join a group of feathered friends, and find out if shy parrot Red gets to taste a favorite sweet before they're all gone!This book's colorful and light-hearted illustrations are perfect for drawing a child's interest, while its delightful story of friendship, kindness, and discovering the value of knowing when to ask for help, will keep them turning the page and wanting to discover what happens next.

The Natural History of Edward Lear, New Edition


Robert McCracken Peck - 2021
    But the celebrated author of The Owl and the Pussy-Cat also created some of the most stunning paintings of birds and mammals during an age when many species were just being discovered and brought to private menageries and zoos throughout Europe. The Natural History of Edward Lear brings together more than 200 of Lear's strikingly beautiful illustrations of animals, plants, and landscapes. Robert McCracken Peck sheds light on Lear's astounding creativity, productivity, and success as an artist. He discusses Lear's humor, extensive travels, and important place in the history of science, and shows how Lear influenced other artists from Beatrix Potter and Maurice Sendak to James Prosek and Walton Ford.With a foreword by David Attenborough, a new chapter discussing Lear's interest in pets, and never-before-published illustrations by Lear, this new edition offers invaluable perspectives on a beloved writer who was also one of the greatest natural-history artists of all time.