Blackbird, Blackbird, What Do You Do?

This appealing picture book follows Pip the young blackbird’s search to find out what it is that blackbirds do.  Should he fish like Heron, hunt mice like Owl, dig a nest like Puffin or peck at seeds like Pigeon?  Pip asks his question to many birds until at last he discovers that what blackbirds do best, of course, is to sing, and so sweetly that all the other birds flock to listen to him.

This is a warm and gentle story told in simple and pleasingly repetitive language with a bold clear font that curves around the illustrations.  The Edinburgh-based author illustrator is a keen printmaker and this skill is evident in the texture, patterns and shapes of her illustrations of various natural environments and the creatures that live in them.  The birds are expressively depicted and there are all sorts of tiny hidden creatures for children to discover.  This is an attractive picture book and it will read aloud well to young children with a theme of self-discovery that will be useful to share and discuss.  The book should appeal especially to bird-loving children and families as the information about bird behaviour is presented within the story with further details on the final endpaper.  All in all, this is a satisfying simple book to share with young children.