Birds from Head to Tail

In this fun informational picture book, children can test their knowledge of birds, one body part at a time. ”What bird has eyes like this?“ asks a spread showing a close-up illustration of the body part without revealing the rest of the bird’s body. ”A bald eagle!“ answers the following spread, which features an illustration of the whole bird in its habitat, along with intriguing information about its unique body part and what makes it special. Eight birds in all are featured, along with another eight on an additional spread at the back of the book.

This entertaining addition to the popular Head to Tail series is a perfect for read-aloud. It features eight fascinating birds from around the world ― including the kiwi, blue-footed booby and arctic tern ― with an additional eight birds described and illustrated in the back matter. Striking cut-paper collage illustrations by Kwanchai Moriya make the books in this series visual standouts and add to their appeal. With fun facts about each bird’s special features, characteristics and habitat, this title has direct applications to the second-grade life science curriculum on the physical characteristics and habitats of living things. And the guessing game component offers a terrific opportunity for critical thinking and reasoning.

Stacey Roderick is a children's book editor and the author of Dinosaurs from Head to Tail, Ocean Animals from Head to Tail and Bugs from Head to Tail. She lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario.

Kwanchai Moriya is an illustrator and painter. He was born in New York and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He completed his education with a degree in History from the University of California and a degree in Illustration from the Art Center College of Design. Kwanchai lives and works in Los Angeles, California.