A World of Birds is a beautifully illustrated non fiction book which introduces readers to 75 different species of birds from all around the world. Vicky Woodgate’s gorgeous illustrations support a multitude of fascinating facts, so much research has gone into this sturdy little book.
A clear and easy to read contents page introduces us to the seven continents and their featured birds. The first double spread gives a really detailed description of what a bird is and the body parts of a bird are labelled. Beaks and feet are also highlighted, we learnt about where a bird’s nostrils are located and how many toes they have.
A World of Birds takes us on a journey around the globe. At the beginning of each section is a map of the continent with general information about climate, habitat, birdlife and conservation. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, each colourful bird dominates a pastel coloured page which also includes pencil line drawings that give additional information to the text. The index at the end helps children find more general information about birds including camouflage, food, eggs, defences and wings.
This is the perfect coffee table book for young and old to dip in and out of. There are so many fascinating facts which were new to us – we didn’t know that the underside of a sea eagle’s foot is covered in ‘spiracles’ to help them grip slippery fish or that the smallest bird in the world is the bee hummingbird. We’d never heard of the lyre bird which can mimic over 20 bird species as well as a variety of noises including chainsaws and ringing phones! We absolutely love penguins and the penguin page introduced us to a new one – the Macaroni penguin with its crest of yellow feathers.
A World of Birds would make a fabulous addition to a school classroom or library and could be used as part of a topic on birds and wildlife. Children could research and draw their favourite bird to include in a class book or a classroom wall display.
Several of the European birds are already familiar to us and A World of Birds has encouraged us to look more closely at the birds that visit our garden. It’s a beautiful bird spotting resource for children.
Author / Illustrator: Vicky Woodgate
Thank you to Big Picture Press for sending this beautiful book. We’ve enjoyed learning more about familiar birds as well as discovering new ones.
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