Anyone who has sat with a child in the lap and a book like Where’s Waldo in hand knows the pleasure of sharing a seek-and-find game. In Bird Watch, Christie Matheson brings this pleasure to birders, with the addition of a ten-to-one countdown. Gentle, elegant illustrations in watercolor and collage provide a game of “find the bird” for the very young. “If you look closely, you just might find eight sparrows hiding near the ground.” Parents may also be challenged to find some of the hidden targets, but there’s plenty to look at and enjoy.
Trees, flowers, seeds, insects and spiders surround and help to camouflage the birds and distract the searchers. For the uninitiated, endpapers and back matter add information for further identification.
Play the can-you-find-it game first. Then take your little ones for a walk to see how many birds they can spot. If there are older siblings along, you might even teach them to use iBird to keep track of their sightings. Try it beside the Bay, in the hills, around the block, in the park or at your own feeder. Any way you play it, you’ll all win.
SFBBO member Dudley Carlson, a biologist’s daughter, grew up in a family of birders and was Manager of Youth Services at Princeton (NJ) Public Library for 25 years. She believes that if children enjoy learning about birds and understand how important they are to our environment, then birds, nature and people will have a better chance at a healthy future.
Play the can-you-find-it game first. Then take your little ones for a walk to see how many birds they can spot. If there are older siblings along, you might even teach them to use iBird to keep track of their sightings. Try it beside the Bay, in the hills, around the block, in the park or at your own feeder. Any way you play it, you’ll all win.
SFBBO member Dudley Carlson, a biologist’s daughter, grew up in a family of birders and was Manager of Youth Services at Princeton (NJ) Public Library for 25 years. She believes that if children enjoy learning about birds and understand how important they are to our environment, then birds, nature and people will have a better chance at a healthy future.