#BookReview - Common Backyard Birds

Common Backyard Birds

By: Doris Dumrauf
Publisher: Raccoon Creek Press
Publication Date: April 2018
ISBN: 978-0997676716
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: January 2018

Author/nature nature photographer Doris Dumrauf has put together a beautiful collection of "common" backyard birds that young bird watchers will love to add to their collection of special books.

Common Backyard Birds includes twenty birds that are seen in backyards across North America. Some of the names most people will recognize - American Robin, Mourning Dove, and Blue Jay - while others such as the Dark-eyed Junco may not be familiar to readers.

There's a full page devoted to every bird, with one, and sometimes two, beautiful photographs as well as a brief paragraph about the bird. The text includes information such as what that bird eats, its temperament (we learn that the blue jay is very aggressive and that small birds fly away when they see one), and where it likes to perch, or hide. Each of these "factoids" is told in the first person, as if the bird is talking directly to the young reader.

The author's deep love of nature, and birds, comes through clearly on every page. Her photographs are truly stunning and give readers a close-up look at the birds they might come upon in their own backyards. She encourages youngsters to provide the basics that all birds seek - water, food and shelter - so that they too can have lots of birds visit their yards. The last two pages of the book is a "How to attract birds to your yard" tutorial with lots of good information on how to make your own backyard attractive to birds. Common Backyard Birds is a fun book that provides plenty of helpful information. Rated for K-4th grade, this book would also be good for those working on research projects about North American birds.

Quill says: A truly lovely book about backyard birds that comes to life through the beautiful photography.