The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs

The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs is a companion volume to The Little Book of Woodland Bird Songs. Via double-page spreads, The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs introduces children (and adults) to 12 “city” birds whose summer (and sometimes winter) ranges include Canada. The birds are the: House Wren, American Goldfinch, Red-Winged Blackbird, Killdeer, House Finch, Great Horned Owl, Blue Jay, American Robin, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, American Crow and Song Sparrow.

In each spread, the left page is devoted to the major text which is consistently ordered as shown in the excerpt above, with the main text providing some interesting facts specific to the pages’ bird while the remainder of the text’s information is provided in point form. A small illustration of something the page’s focal bird eats separates the major text from the point form information. The right-hand page provides a close-up colour photo of the bird, with the bird being situated in its natural habitat. The only text on the photo page is the brief “DID YOU KNOW” statement. For instance, did you know that male goldfinches “are mostly yellow when breeding in spring and are a dull brown colour in winter”?

What sets The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs apart from other introductory bird identification books is the last word in its title. The authors recognize that we frequently hear birds before we actually see them, and so the book links the auditory with the visual. Bound with this sturdy board book and encased in durable plastic is a sound module having 12 song buttons, one for each of the book’s birds. Pressing the button bearing the portrait of the bird being read about activates the common sound that particular bird makes. The one-inch (3-cm) speaker actually provides excellent sound quality (and a battery is included).

The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs is an excellent home purchase, but it should certainly also be considered by those libraries and classrooms that are willing to accept some bird sounds.