Bateman's Backyard Birds
Gr. 4-7. Canadian wildlife artist Bateman offers an engaging introduction to birds and birding in a handsome, large-format book illustrated with his paintings. Fifteen of the double-page spreads introduce pairs of birds, such as "Head-Tailed Hawks and Great Horned Owls" and "Mallards and Canada Geese," while the rest focus on Bateman's childhood interest in observing birds, explanations of topics such as life cycles or migrations, and suggestions for protecting birds and their habitats. A typical spread includes one large illustration of one bird and a smaller one of the other identified species. Precisely, often beautifully, the paintings show the birds in action, while a few paragraphs of first-person text relate information and observations. Captions and sidebars concisely convey facts about each featured bird's size, voice, food, range, and habitat.  The book ends with a glossary, a brief bibliography, and the location of an online field guide that includes birdcalls.Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved