Beautiful Birds

Gr 1–4—Organized alphabetically, these stunning illustrations of birds will inspire students of graphic design more than they convey avian information. The bright neon pink of the endpapers recurs on each spread, appearing as small details such as a kiwi's glowing eyes or as background as eagles swooping for their prey. Sharp-eyed readers will appreciate visual humor provided by touches such as the construction crane in the background of the page featuring whopping and crowned cranes or the lyrebird's tail next to the musical instrument of the same name. The brief, poetic text suffers from bumps in rhyme and rhythm, although the revelation of the peacock as the book's "guide" offers an amusing twist at the end. Small type minimizes the featured letters and not all of them represent birds, e.g., "V" is for a flight formation. Those searching for an avian-themed alphabet book incorporating large letters, clear illustrations, and brief but factual introductions should consider Jerry Pallotta's The Bird Alphabet Book (Charlesbridge, 1986).