Birds is a mellow story about the differences of birds in very basic text and format. You do not learn about the scientific details of birds (such as wing spans, food preferences, even the color differences of male and female) but simple-facts such as some birds are loud and some quiet or some birds build nests and others live in bird houses (or as the text said, “Prefer a roof over their heads”). This is because the text is poetic and flows while taking a realistic approach in the subject. It is a calming, soothing book that does not have the traditional action storyline (the bird will fly off and find its mother, or baby-bird must faceup to a bully, or sails across the sea as a pirate) it is a nice story. It is just a pleasant, quiet read.
Therefore, this makes the format awkward for me. And while the Carme Lemniscates’ hardcover edition would be a nice edition to your bedtime story book collection or to a preschool classroom library, or even as a beginning reader for a slightly more advanced reader (or with assistance reader) it is more likely that this book would probably have more appeal if it was in a large lap sized board book format.
The bright illustrations tie into the soothing aspect of the books text. They are bold, bright colorful images, but at the same time not overpowering. You see the illustrations capturing the feeling of birds and the world around them.
