Bird Rehearsal

March 1, 2024
An avian chorus whistles, caws, coos, and calls as day brightens and then fades. In a set of luminously hued tableaux, a chorus of birdsong weaves between and around Innerst's richly hued close-up portraits of robins and mourning doves, wrens, cardinals, mockingbirds, and over a dozen other common residents of urban and suburban trees and roosts. To go with art that rewards looking and then looking again, the all-birdsong narrative, read aloud, creates a kind of infectiously joyful mouth music: "TWEEDLE-DEE TOODLE-DO / TO-DE-REAR / POODLE-HOO." "PERC-O-LATER PERC-O-LATER // Mine? Mine? Mine?" Here chickens cackle ("PLUCK PLUCK PLUCK AHHH"), there crows mob a silent hawk with a rapid barrage of caws; later on a mockingbird provides a quick medley as streetlights brighten. For the finale, the entire feathered company gathers for a grand coda. A closing who's who invites readers and listeners to match headshots with the earlier images, and accompanying notes strike piquant chords: "The wren is a tiny bird with an enormous voice and almost no neck." "Canada geese can make quite a mess--watch where you step!" "Like humans, crows feed on dead animals." Definitely for the birds, in a wonderful way. (Informational picture book. 6-8)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* Readers are cordially invited to a concert of astonishing variety and beauty, with encore performances happening daily: beautiful birdsongs by local artists! As day breaks, a robin breaks the silence with a poodle-hoo, and soon others join in. Mourning doves coo, a tiny Carolina wren serves up a shockingly noisy refrain, and a chickadee croons its own name. A break in the ballad is cleverly provided by a silent, serious hawk observing the proceedings from a powerline, seeking an easy snack. The quiet doesn't last long, as anxious crows clock the threat and chase it off with a cawing cacophony. Sunset brings the soft hoots of owls, while a mimicking mockingbird imitates several of the previous performers in the middle of the night. Another dawn sees the avian ensemble gather to greet the day and blend their calls into one delightful din. The unconventional story is told entirely through birdsong, offering a glimpse of a day through their eyes (and our ears). Readers will delight in sounding out the creatively conceptualized chirps and squawks, and a hilarious concluding cast list offers identification of the noisy neighbors. Dazzling collaged illustrations are a glorious mishmash of bright colors and varied textures, capturing the exuberance of the noisy birds and the ever-shifting glow of daylight. Gather the flock and revel in a rambunctious read-aloud with new fabulous feathered friends.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2024
Each dynamic spread features a type of bird and its song, from the "tweedle-dee, toodle-oo" of the American robin to the mimicking calls of the mockingbird. The calls are incorporated into the mixed-media illustrations, creating a symphony of rhythm and movement (one that's literally on a stage in the final pages). The book as a whole celebrates the diversity in the avian world. Back matter contains black-and-white illustrations of the "cast" as well as an accompanying fact about each (e.g., owls can bark!).

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)