RIW -- Backyard birds and fascinated children

While at the Pennwriters Conference in Lancaster last month, I met Suzanne Walls, who wrote a lovely little book called, Backyard Birds of the Piedmont. I mentioned my blog to her and she graciously gave me a copy of her book to review.

Backyard Birds of the Piedmont contains beautiful photographs by wildlife photographer, D.W. Maiden. These creative and stunning pictures of various birds are the perfect accents to the one-page descriptions supplied by Suzanne. She complements the photos in a kid-friendly way without talking down to the kids.

After I returned from the conference, I went out for breakfast with my 3 1/2 year old granddaughter. While we we waiting for our food, I read the book to Laura, who was truly fascinated by the bird facts and pictures. The book held her interest, and mine! I actually learned quite a bit about some common, and not-so-common birds.

As we pulled up to the house, Laura pointed to an orange-breasted bird in the yard and said, "Look Grandma, there's a American Robin." I smiled as it flew away.

The bird descriptions range from their appearance to their songs/calls to their behavioral characteristics. Each page is interesting and well written. This is a book I can read again and again, and plan to as we add to our family of grandbabies. I plan to spend some time with each one of them immersed in the pages of Suzanne L. Walls' wonderful book!

Suzanne was awarded the prestigious Seal of Approval by the Young Voices Foundation for her Exploring Wildlife Series.

On her website, she says this about Backyard Birds of the Piedmont:

Explore the wonderful world of Backyard Birds of the Piedmont through the eyes of a child. In this beginning-reader, each bird speaks directly to the reader in an engaging voice, presenting simple facts that encourage further investigation into the world of nature.

If your kiddo is more into creepy crawlers instead of feathered creatures, you might want to check out Suzanne's A Child's Book of Insects.

Visit A Child's Book for more information about Suzanne and her delightful children's books and to order a book or two for your little ones. Opening their eyes to the wonders of nature is one of the first steps toward teaching them to appreciate and care for this marvelous creation.