Birds

Review also includes:

Reptiles, 978-1405311670

Children will no doubt enjoy looking at the stunning photographs in Birds and Reptiles: as books to browse through they are fine. But the impression is that library photographs have been pulled together and, then, a text built round them. So there is no strong authorial ‘voice’ leading us into the information. The headings for each double page (also set out in the contents page) indicate that the books are miscellanies of interesting but rather random information. In Birds we have headings like ‘Laughing cry’, ‘On the beach’ and ‘Grab a snack’ while Reptiles has headings that include ‘Slither, slither’, ‘Open wide’ and ‘Slowcoach’. Each book covers too much in a superficial way and therefore is not likely to add to children’s knowledge and understanding in any profound way.