Will Hillenbrand

This is an outstanding bird book for any audience. It not only features gorgeous paintings by the author/illustrator for each of the 15 birds highlighted, but offers unusual and fascinating information about them that is not often reported.

For example, Hillenbrand explains how a woodpecker uses its tongue as a shock absorber by wrapping it around its skull when it pecks! A blue jay, he tells us, may store anywhere between 3,000 and 5,000 acorns during a single autumn. The long, visible show more "leg" of a Sandhill Crane isn't a leg at all; it is actually an elongated ankle. The bird's true knee and thigh are hidden much higher up under the body's feathers, meaning these birds essentially walk on their toes! Kestrels can see small prey from a distance the length of 27 football fields, or 1.86 miles. When they hunt voles, “their favorite food,” the can see their urine in trails that reflect the sun’s ultraviolet light. Astonishing!

In the back matter, under an index (a very welcome feature in any non-fiction book), all the birds are arrayed along the bottom of a two-page spread in scale to each other. There are also some great links for more information.

Evaluation: This excellent mix of ornithology and art will mesmerize audiences of 4 and up, and provide a valuable resource to keep on hand for birdwatching. show less

What a beautifully and artistically executed story! This sweet little mouse is headed out in the midst of a dreadful wintry storm through the countryside, and a kindly gentleman offers Mouse a ride in his carriage. Sadly, the Willow tree blocks their path. They disembark and mouse spots the missing items from the mouse household precariously clinging to the branches - an umbrella, a boot, and even a key.

As the story progresses, the few words of text sit stately on the pages in distinct black show more type making for nice and easy reading. The illustrations are worthy of much perusal; and the reader and listener can add to the story, letting their imagination soar, as they discover new bits of story in the illustrations not yet proclaimed in text.

Don't despair because mouse does make it home to the warmth of the family home and there you can find for yourself just what happens to the household items discovered (and then lost again in the journey).

A delightful and snuggle-worthy book.

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. show less

On a windy spring day, Bear sniffs the air. Could it be. . . Kite day? Rushing home he tells Mole, and the two fast friends get to work building a kite of their own. They study, and collect, and measure, and construct—and soon, their kite is flying high above the meadow. But when a storm rumbles in—SNAP!—the kite string breaks, and all their hard work soars away. Chasing after it, Mole and Bear discover all is not lost—wedged in the branches of a tree, their kite protects a nest of show more baby birds from the pouring rain. show less

It's Christmas Eve and Santa is ready to go, except for one thing...No reindeer! Now where did all the reindeer go? Santa searches and finds that Dancer is dancing, while Prancer is busy prancing. Oh My! What is Santa to do? The all-call on the horn and jingling of the bells fail to bring in the missing reindeer, but there's something else that just might work. Will Santa get the reindeer to focus,so all the toys can be delivered on time? Check out this charming, seasonal tale to find show more out.

The Bottom Line: Hillenbrand has woven a treasured childhood tradition into a holiday story with colorful, digitally rendered drawings in large two-page spreads. This picture book is so much fun to read and enthusiastically recommended for storytimes or bedtime reading.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. show less