Picture Books About Birds

We’ve been listening to a very noisy dawn chorus every morning which has prompted us to reread some of our favourite picture books about birds. We’ve already blogged about the picture book penguins on our bookcase but we also have lots of favourite picture books about other birds! Is your favourite bird picture book on our list?

Wow! Said the Owl by Tim Hopgood: Wow! Said The Owl is a beautifully illustrated story in which little owl stays awake and introduces children to the colours that they can see around them in the natural world. It’s also available as a board book for the littlest of readers.

Peck Peck Peck by Lucy Cousins: Peck Peck Peck is a fun picture book which introduces young children to woodpeckers. Daddy shows his little woodpecker how to peck holes in a tree then tells him to go and practise. The little woodpecker then proceeds to peck everything in sight! By the end of the book Lucy Cousin’s colourful trademark illustrations are full of holes!

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson: Owl Babies is one of my favourite stories for helping young children to deal with separation anxiety. Sarah, Percy and Bill wake up one night and Mummy has gone. They’re confused, they have a think, they ask questions, they wish and then they wait for her.

Hattie Peck by Emma Levey: We love Hattie, she’s a determined, kind hearted heroine who turns her own heartbreak around when she goes out into the big wide world to rescue abandoned eggs before taking them home to hatch. It’s a lovely story that also shows children which animals also hatch out of eggs.

Little Home Bird by Jo Empson: Favourite possessions are important to all of us and Little Bird takes all of his favourite things with him when he flies south for the winter. He has to give them away as he flies but once he reaches his destination he realises that material possessions aren’t the most important thing in life.

The Dawn Chorus by Suzanne Barton: We love this story of a little bird who does his best to make his dream come true before he discovers his true identity. Peep practises singing so that he can join The Dawn Chorus but on the first day he is late for his audition and on the second day he is too tired to sing. When he makes a new friend he discovers why his attempts to sing at dawn are unsuccessful!

Robin’s Winter Song by Suzanne Barton: Robin’s Winter Song is a lovely story to stimulate a discussion about change and the uncertainty that children may feel when they don’t fully understand a new situation or experience. Robin notices something is different when trees start losing their leaves, finches fly south and Squirrel starts burying nuts. He learns that winter is coming but is scared as he doesn’t know what winter is.

The Last Chip The Story of a Very Hungry Pigeon by Duncan Beedie: Percy the pigeon’s story highlights the desperate situation of somebody who is extremely hungry and also introduces children to the concept of homelessness and living on the streets. Percy reaches an extremely low point in his quest to find food but then a kind stranger comes to his rescue.

Just Ducks! by Nicola Davies and Salvatore Rubbino: We have learnt many interesting facts about ducks through reading this beautifully illustrated, non fiction picture book. The story is told from the viewpoint of a school child who tells the story of a duck’s day in parallel to her own.

Wildlife Jack I Want to fly! by Ed Kellie, Jacopo Lanza & Mark Billington: Wildlife Jack I want to fly! is full of beautiful photographs and fascinating bird facts. The story is based on the first episode of the Wildlife Jack television series in which wildlife presenter Chris Packham plays Grandad.

Bird House by Libby Walden and Clover Robin: Bird House is a fabulously sturdy, lift the flap, discovery board book which introduces children to six different types of homes for birds as well as including facts about various birds. It also gives general advice as to how you can make your own garden more bird friendly.

A World of Birds by Vicky Woodgate: 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.

Do you have a favourite picture book about birds to add to our list? We’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments.