Birdsong by Ellie Sandall
| Birdsong by Ellie Sandall | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A superb rhyme woven around lots of different bird calls. The birdsong, repetition and humour make it hugely enjoyable. Young book fans will want to read it time and time again. Highly recommended. Ellie Sandall was kind enough to be interviewed by Bookbag. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: February 2010 |
| Publisher: Egmont | |
| ISBN: 978-1405247375 | |
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One by one the birds land on the branch. Each is a different species, each has different plumage, and most importantly each has a different call. The chorus of birdsong builds up and up and up until the biggest bird of all lands on the branch, with his loud shriek. Ah, but who's this about to land on the branch with him?
I loved Birdsong. It's a simple idea brilliantly executed. There's a strong sense of rhyme throughout, with the different bird calls woven into it. The repetition builds up page after page, with new calls added to the mix. Rather than simply being a list of calls, there's also a fun plot with a healthy smattering of humour thrown in for good measure. It's the sort of book that the young 'uns will want to read time and time again.
Ellie Sandall's illustrations are excellent too. They're a combination of textured crayon for the trees, bold watercolours for the birds, and a few light touches of collage for flowers. They all blend together to create a style all of her own. It would be easy to overcrowd the pages, particularly when the number of birds really add up, but they're just appropriately busy, rather than swamped.
The simple vocabulary, with plenty of squawks and trills, makes it ideal for the very youngest book fans. They'll be hooked from the first page. Such is the quality that slightly older children will enjoy all that Birdsong has to offer too. It's excellent. Highly recommended.
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
For another menagerie of birds, check out The Girl With The Bird's Nest Hair by Sarah Dyer. Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett is another simple tale perfectly told. If you want to go from the skies to the seas instead, you'll love One Smart Fish by Chris Wormell. You might also appreciate Magpie's Treasure by Kate Slater.
Ellie Sandall was kind enough to be interviewed by Bookbag.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Birdsong by Ellie Sandall at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Birdsong by Ellie Sandall at Amazon.com.
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