A great book for any young birdwatcher taking them through a year in the life of a bird. Dara McAnulty explains clearly what birds do at different times of year and what you might be fortunate enough to see in your garden. With detailed illustrations, the important parts of a bird's anatomy are explained with a clear explanation of their life cycle. Taking the reader through each season, the author makes it clear what and why you may see at different times of year.

Hmmm… A well-intentioned book, but one I really don't think the young me, way back when I was the target audience, would have taken to. It starts with two large spreads of sub-poetic waffle, as does each of the seasons when we come to them. After that it breaks down into the biology – the life us average behind-the-patio-doors birder might see – and then other subjects related to birdlife, such as the variety of their nests, and the author's favourite songbirds. Therefore come summer we're seeing a Darwinian tree of finch beaks, with the evolution of feathers in autumn – but still, for all the science I didn't see something bright enough to convey it to the intended reader, and with more than one "my favourite five…" sections, too much of something relying on the author's cod-celebrity status. It's not horrendously bad, but I read enough as a youth to know what I liked and what I didn't, and this, especially with the attempts at verse taking up too much space, I would have found off-putting.

A beautiful non-fiction text about birds, with lovely illustrations and facts throughout. I like the way it is divided into seasons and there are interesting facts about different birds.

I loved this! A perfect follow up to Dara's Wild Child, this is full of fascinating facts and details about birds. The style is very accessible, with each chapter focusing on the different seasons and what you can expect as you watch the birds in your locality. There are additional details about behaviour, types etc., alongside tips on birdwatching, feeding them, apps you may find useful, and further information which I'm sure young readers will find helpful. Throughout is is beautifully illustrated by Barry Falls, each spread perfectly complements the text. Above all Dara's love for his subject is clear, which is what really makes this work.

As an amateur bird watcher, I really enjoyed this book which featured many of my favourite birds. Split into the four seasons, this would be perfect for dipping in and out of at different times of the year. It's more than just an identification book and is packed with lots of useful and interesting factual information. I will definitely be buying a copy for our school library.

I loved the first Wild Child book so I was really excited to get an early copy of this one as a PDF on Netgalley - thanks to the publisher! Reading Dara's memoir a couple of years ago helped to kickstart a love of birdwatching in me, and I'm delighted that he is releasing his Book of Birds for budding naturalists, young and old. The combination of personal experience, facts & poetry is once again brilliant, and made all the more readable through Barry Falls' wonderful illustration. I can't wait to get recommending this one in store.

'A Wild Child's Book of Birds', written by Dara McAnulty, is a truly beautiful non-fiction book that we can’t wait to have in physical form. Filled with stunning images and laid out so boldly, this book really engaged my 9 year old wild child. We particularly loved that this book gave information about birds through the seasons and how we can learn from them. The inclusion of excerpts from literature, poetry and top tips to birdwatching engaged us all the more.

My daughter asked if it was possible to give it more than 5 stars. I agree! This is one of our favourite books read this year.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for gifting us this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Dara for sharing your love of birds with us; our eyes are wider now.

Sadly unable to download on iPad via NetGalley as there was no,access to kindle,or netgalley shelf… so,I,could not review the book