Birds fly by Graeme Base

Little bug books. Viking, 2014. ISBN 9780670077649.
(Age 1-5) Recommended. Animal behaviour. Birds fly but how do other animals move? In this lift the flap book, Graeme Base looks at the world of animal action. Included are beautifully illustrated animals like crabs and dolphins that will delight the senses.
Young children will enjoy this book, first looking at the animal that is wonderfully drawn and then trying to guess what word will describe the animal's actions. When the flap is lifted, the reader, especially if they are an adult, will find a word that may not be the one they expected but which is a great image of how the animal moves. For example, dolphins leap and crabs scuttle.
As always, Base's illustrations are rich and vividly coloured and bring the animals to life. Young children will love the happy expressions on the animals' faces as they move across the page. At the end there is a little bug asking if the reader found it, encouraging users to go back to the beginning to find it and to experience the vibrant pictures again. The fact that it changes colour on each drawing is a good opportunity to introduce the idea of camouflage.
This series is an ideal one to give to very young children as it is sturdy and well produced. I can also see it being used with young children who have English as their second language, as they would be able to easily learn to say and read some new words.
Pat Pledger