Often we go about our daily lives without noticing the birds around us – whether flying overhead, perched on a fence, or calling from the trees. But they are everywhere, filling our urban spaces with colour, song, and movement.
This Bird is a delightful book for younger readers living in cities or suburbs, encouraging them to pause, look up, and engage with the rich birdlife in their own backyards, down the park, beach or while walking around their suburb.. It aims to open their eyes to the birds we might otherwise overlook, inviting curiosity and connection with the natural world.
We are introduced to a wide variety of birds – such as aerial hunters, ground dwellers, parrots, raptors, shorebirds, and seabirds to name but a few. Along the way, it explains scientific terms, like what it means to be an omnivore or insectivore, and names the parts of a bird’s body from the crown to toes. Everyday comparisons help us understand the size of each bird using items like a knife and fork or a milk bottle, or for larger birds, a human.
Readers will meet fascinating species such as a pair of king parrots, with the male’s striking red colour opposite to the female’s beautiful green plumage, and the bar-tailed godwit, which holds the record for the world’s longest non-stop flight: an incredible 13,000 km from the Arctic Circle to Australia in just 11 days! There’s also the comb-crested jacana, a waterbird that walks across lily pads with its long, splayed toes. Male jacanas carry their chicks under their wings as they walk across the water. The chicks spindly legs poke out from his wings as he skilfully navigates the lily pads.
The pages are vibrant and richly illustrated, with images that fill the space and bring each bird vividly to life. The breadth of bird species included, paired with fun fascinating facts, makes this book a wonderful introduction to the avian world.
This Bird will inspire children to stop, listen, and wonder about the feathered creatures living nearby. Who knows – it might spark a lifelong interest in birdwatching or even participation in activities like the Great Aussie Bird Count or New Zealand’s Garden Bird Survey.
Reviewed by Emily Ross
Age Guide 6+
Astred Hicks
Dr Holly Parsons
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Astred Hicks is a bestselling illustrator, highly awarded book designer, emerging author and complete bird nerd. She is excited about noticing the world around her and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She is also the illustrator of A Hollow Is a Home, Ocean Animals, and Swifty.
Dr Holly Parsons is a bird-loving scientist who spends her days studying the amazing Australian bird life that lives in our towns and cities, and sharing her passion with everyone she meets.
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