By BBC Wildlife Magazine

Published: Saturday, 28 May 2022 at 12:00 am

---

Whether they’re a fledgling ornithologist already, or new to the avian world, these books will entertain and educate children about birds. We’ve included the age range and the inside spreads of the books where possible – although we have included one book that isn’t aimed specifically at children, as we reckon it can be enjoyed by all ages!

You can browse more of our reading and gift suggestions for children and teenagers:

• Books on insects and invertebrates for children
• Books on ocean wildlife for children
• Books for teenagers
• Wildlife-themed gifts for children
• Wildlife-themed games for children

---

The Extraordinary World of Birds

By David Lindo, illustrated by Claire McElfatrick. Published by DK. Age range: 7-9 years.

Writer and author David Lindo, also known as the Urban Birder, brings his passion for birds to his first book for children. It’s an exciting journey through the avian world, from the basics of what a bird is to the wide range of marvellous and fantastic adaptations of species worldwide.

There’s sections on different groups of birds (such as parrots, seabirds and waterbirds), behaviours and conservation, and it’s absolutely packed with facts. For example, did you know that the bee hummingbird is the smallest bird species in the world, with the males measuring only 5.5cm in length? Or that songbirds can breathe through one lung at a time, so they don’t have to pause for breath? Photographs combine with illustrations by Claire McElfatrick to bring the book alive.

This is the latest book in DK’s series celebrating nature, which also includes The Magic and Mystery of Trees (by Jen Green and produced in collaboration with the RHS), The Book of Brilliant Bugs and Earth’s Incredible Oceans (both written by veterinarian and presenter Jess French), all illustrated by McElfatrick.

Reviewed by Megan Shersby, BBC Wildlife, editorial and digital co-ordinator

Nests

By Susan Ogilvy. Published by Particular Books.

This isn’t a book specifically aimed at children, but I decided to include it here nonetheless as it is a lovely book that some children will enjoy – I lent it to my neighbours (with two seven year old children), and they loved flicking through it and see the different illustrations.

Birds’ nests have long fascinated naturalists and artists, thanks to their intricate construction (the exception being the baffling mess that is a woodpigeon’s nest), and the variety between different species in their sizes, locations and materials used.

Susan Ogilvy is a botanical illustrator but veered into the world of birds’ nests after finding a sodden and unfinished chaffinch nest in her garden. Once dry, it was a jewel to behold, and she started painting the different nests that she and her family and friends came across (relying on finding either adandoned or displaced nests).

Each beautiful nest illustration is accompanied by information about the bird species, as well as where that specific nest was found.

Reviewed by Megan Shersby, BBC Wildlife, editorial and digital co-ordinator

What it’s Like to be a Bird

By Tim Birkhead, illustrated by Catherine Rayner. Published by Bloomsbury. Age range: 7 years and above.

Ornithologist and author Tim Birkhead is a masterful storyteller, bringing a vast range of birds to life in this lively new book. What it’s Like to be a Bird does what it says on the tin: it places the reader in the bird’s position and with dramatic characterisation and colourful descriptions, shows us what it would be like to be a raven, a partridge or a red-capped manakin.

It’s not just Catherine Rayner’s illustrations that help bring Birkhead’s stories to life – it’s the dynamic typography too, with sentences and paragraphs shaped around the wings of a bird or standing out boldly from the rest.

Reviewed by Freya Parr, freelance writer

Twitch

By M.G. Leonard. Published by Walker Books. Age range: 9-13 years.

Beetle Boy author MG Leonard turns her attention to birds in the first of a new mystery series for kids. Twelve-year-old Twitch is an outsider who’d rather go off with his binoculars than hang out with his peers. Complete with woodland hideouts, kidnappings, disguises and an SOS sent by pigeon, Twitch is a good old-fashioned adventure story that feels like a modern-day Secret Seven.

It’s also a tale of friendship, of being yourself, of seeking solace in nature, and – well – of birds. It is imbued with delicious avian references. Swallows nest in Twitch’s bedroom; teapots are owl-shaped; and the finale, in which the kids apprehend the baddie by ‘murmurating’ around him like starlings, is simply genius.

Reviewed by Sarah McPherson, BBC Wildlife, features editor

Snow Birds

By Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Jenni Desmond. Abrams Books. Age range: 4-8 years

This book feels special from the moment you pick it up. Set in North America, each poem describes a different species and the challenges they face in winter: the great grey owl hunts for its next meal in three lines;  golden-crowned kinglets huddle together for warmth; and the northern cardinal is filled with rhythmic hope of a coming spring.

Each poem captures the behaviours of the bird, not just in words but in construction, and is accompanied by the bird’s song and a captivating illustration. You can hear the downy woodpecker drilling and feel the solitude of the snowy owl perched atop a dune.

Curl up under a blanket with your little one and lose yourself in the elegant, descriptive poetry and striking artwork, which exquisitely depict the most dramatic season of the year. The perfect gift for children aged five and upwards, it will open their imaginations to a new world in winter.

Reviewed by Lucy McRobert, nature writer

Ruby’s Birds

By May Thompson, illustrated by Claudia Dávila. Published by Cornell Lab Publishing Group. Age range 3-7 years.

Ruby’s Birds tells the charming story of Ruby, a plucky young girl who discovers the fascinating wildlife in her New York City neighbourhood. The reader is swept up on Ruby’s journey of discovery, learning with her about all the birds she meets and picking up useful tips for taking a nature walk.

If you live stateside, there are handy hints for birdwatching in your local area, as well as pointers for how to spot anything from a mourning dove to a cedar waxwing. For readers in the rest of the world, there’s still plenty to enjoy here, thanks to the colourful illustrations by Claudia Dávila and insights into the world of urban birding.

If you want to see for yourselves… there are lots of readalongs of Ruby’s Birds online, such as this one from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary:

Please note that external videos may contain ads