BIRDS FROM HEAD TO TAIL

Identify birds by their particularly distinguishable body parts.

A question-and-answer game asks young readers and listeners to recognize familiar birds, introducing a variety of species from around the world. From head (the tufted “ears” of a great horned owl) to tail (a peacock), this inviting title presents a pleasing variety of species. Bird by bird the author asks “What bird has a head [beak, eyes, body, wings, legs, feet, and tail] like this?” on one double-page spread, with a close-up of the feature under examination. After the page turn, a second spread names the bird and adds a paragraph about the utility of the specific feature in the bird’s life. Sometimes a specific species is named (the horned owl, bald eagle, arctic tern, blue-footed booby); some are given only general names: hummingbird (it’s ruby-throated), kiwi, flamingo, peacock. Moriya’s colorful illustrations, digitally created but reminiscent of Steve Jenkins’ cut-and-torn–paper images, show first the recognizable body part, set on white space, and then the whole bird in its natural environment. Most of these birds will appear again and again in children’s books, which makes this a helpful introduction. Two pages of aftermatter introduce eight other familiar and identifiable birds and describe a specific feature—again with a head-to-tail organization. Fourth in the creators’ Head to Tail series (after dinosaurs, ocean animals, and bugs), this is equally appealing.

Engaging, attractive, and informative, a good choice for group storytime as well as one-on-one sharing.