The atlas of amazing birds

K-Gr 4--Tackling an entire class of animals is a daunting task, but this book, neatly organized by continent, rises to the challenge. Each section has a map and a small index of species. There is a short entry with a full-color illustration for each species. Useful for projects, entries include the animals' scientific species name and details such as size, diet, behavior, and how their environment is impacted by humans. However, information is inconsistent from one entry to the next. One entry might discuss behavior; another will not. A little bit of humor lightens the text instead of detracting from the facts. Material is given in manageable amounts and never overwhelms readers. The illustrations are accurate enough to be informative and charming enough to be more captivating than a photo. The glossary is very small, only seven words total, and there is no suggested further reading. Instead, an odd list of "suggested listening" includes songs about birds by various artists. Overall, a very readable and beautiful book. VERDICT A must for public libraries; school libraries will likely desire more information. A charming compendium on the world's birds.--Savannah Kitchens, Parnell Memorial Library, Montevallo, AL

An album of bird portraits from around the world, created and curated by a British ornithologist.In his introduction, bird-watcher Sewell describes this as "my personal selection of the most amazing birds in the worldthe most beautiful, strange, scary, speedy, and enchanting." He's organized his collection loosely by continent, preceding each chapter with a map outlining and labeling the countries. There's no index, but the birds described in each section are listed by page number on the map spread. As with Narisa Togo's Magnificent Birds (2017), a compilation with a similar premise but far fewer entries, this includes stylized images accompanied by a challenging text. Even adult readers will appreciate the author's nimble word choice, his humor, and his admirable descriptive abilities. A Himalayan monal (Asia) is a "thoroughly pleasant pheasant." Of the Andean cock-of-the rock (South America): "The males are dressed in an effervescent, glowing orange-red with what look like metallic silver solar panels on their backs." Flat, full-color images of each bird are set on a white background. These are labeled with the bird's common and scientific names. They're reasonably accurate and certainly identifiable, though not to scale. Each of the 140 or so entries includes one or two paragraphs of descriptive text as well as the bird's length in English units and where in the world it might be found. Unscientific, perhaps, but appreciative and informative.Enchanting, indeed. An invitation to a world of ornithological wonders. (Nonfiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.