Discovering Winged Wonders

There are those who look to their calendars to mark the changing seasons.  There are others, careful observers of the natural world, who know Mother Nature shifts from summer to autumn to winter, and then to spring in her own time.  Last week there were from five to seven of them in my backyard in the morning and evening, adults, and speckled youngsters.  Now, it is as if they've vanished.  Have the robins left to migrate south?

Hummingbirds, two or three, gather, and take turns, at my feeder sipping nectar all day.  Goldfinches and chick-a-dees chatter in the surrounding woods as raptors glide overhead.   Birds are active throughout the day, but those visible change from month to month.  How to Find a Bird (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, August 4, 2020) written by Jennifer Ward with illustrations by Diana Sudyka guides readers in spotting a wide range of birds in a variety of settings and habitats. 

There are a lot of ways to find a bird.

That's the wonderful thing about birds.

We will want to become a part of our surroundings, moving quietly and slowly.  We usually think of watching for birds above us because of their ability to fly, but birds find food on and under the ground.  Look there, too.  Birds near the water are often lower than if they are in flight.

Remember the hint about moving slowly?  Many birds make their nests on the ground.  We should be careful.  Sometimes we have to be detectives.  Birds blend in bark, foliage, and branches.  They might be closer than we think.

We can still look to the sky to discover new birds.  Sometimes they fly solo.  Other times they gather in a large group to create a breathtaking display of synchronization.  

They are so fast at times; we wonder if we really saw them.  They may see us before we see them, announcing their presence with a call.  If we feed birds, they will honor us with their constant company.  In closing the narrative, we are reminded of another sense for locating birds.  We will be eager to try it the next time we step out-of-doors.

The easy conversational sentences penned by Jennifer Ward are an open invitation to readers to explore the world of birds.  Each hint is like a clue to unraveling a marvelous mystery.  When we are asked to do something, a readily understood explanation follows.  References are made for us to be as if we are birds in order to find them. Small poetic uses of language supply an easy cadence.  Here is a passage.

Quiet is good too.

So quiet you can hear

your heartbeat.

Shhhhhhh

When you open the matching dust jacket and book case you are greeted with the lovely display of the tree, branches extending from flap edge to flap edge.  The white canvas provides an ideal background for portraying the birds as we would see them naturally.  The vibrant, full-color picture welcomes readers to open the book.

To the left, on the back, of the jacket and case the two children who journey through the book with us, are looking at the main tree, one with binoculars.  They are partially hidden by a large shrub which contains the ISBN.  Above them a Baltimore oriole is peering from its hanging nest at the children.

A fabulous pattern of bird homes, some made by humans, are carefully scattered on a white background.  Pinecones, nuts, leaves, and tiny, berry-covered branches are part of the design.  The use of muted primary colors is highly appealing.  On the title page a large owl is nestled against a tree trunk, seated on a branch.  The tree's branches stretch off the right and top and move across the gutter to the verso and dedication page, also stretching off the top.

These illustrations by Diana Sudyka rendered 

in watercolor, gouache on paper, and finished digitally

are rich in their settings, color choices, and portraits of the birds.  Each bird is labeled in tiny print looking as if hand lettered. Several perspectives are present in many of the images.  Nearly all the illustrations span two pages before shifting to several circular representations and two full-page pictures.  You will find yourself pausing at every page turn to study the details, even as you gasp in admiration at the beautiful two-page panoramas.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the text above noted.  It's night.  In the background is a charcoal gray sky replete with stars.  In silhouette just left of the gutter is a large tree with leafy branches spreading left and right across the gutter.  In front of the tree on the left is a grassy mound with a tree stump.  The children are quietly seated there.  In front of the grassy area is darkened water.  On the right, much closer to readers is a large sleeping swan.  Her neck is curved downward, her feathered wings gracefully moving upward and to the left across the gutter.  Nestled in her feathers are three babies, their downy fluff slightly darker than her white wings.

This book, How to Find a Bird written by Jennifer Ward with illustrations by Diana Sudyka, is outstanding in every respect with the text and visuals working to create a stunning whole.  At the close of the book under the heading of 

We can all be bird watchers!

are Tools and Tips, Create a Life List, and Become a Citizen Scientist with lots of information.  Jennifer Ward asks readers to visit her website 

for a list of books about birds and bird watching.

I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Jennifer Ward and Diana Sudyka and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  Jennifer Ward has accounts on Facebook, and Twitter.  Diana Sudyka has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Enjoy the video.