Omnibird

If you want a book on everything to do with birds, then look no further than this gem. Omnibird is an illustrated non-fiction text that sells itself as an ‘avian investigator’s handbook’ and is written and illustrated by Giselle Clarkson.

The format is quite informal, almost having a scrapbook feel to it and the text is humorous and engaging. One of my favourite quips is about a flamingo- ‘just because it looks like it’s made of strawberry ice cream, doesn’t mean you should lick it’.

It’s fun but still conveys plenty of useful information about our avian friends, ranging how to identify a bird from its feathers, its nest, its call, its silhouette and its droppings.

The latter half of the book is dedicated to exploring particular types of birds in more detail. These sections cover garden birds, seabirds, birds of prey and rare birds to name a few. These sections allow the reader to delve more deeply into the world of these birds and learn added skills like spotting fledglings, how to act around a scary bird and how to speak chicken.

It’s a perfect read for those who love birds but would work well for those studying science topics like animals and habitats, animal classification and animal adaptation.