Crinkleroot, the charming, grandfatherly guide to the natural world who first appeared in author/illustrator Jim Arnosky's debut book, I Was Born in a Tree and Raised by Bees, returns in this fifth picture-book, this time turning his attention to the avian wildlife around us. From the necessary preparations for bird-watching - walking quietly, carrying binoculars - to the various bird species one might encounter in the woods of North America, from the different kinds of call that different birds make to the different kinds of nest they build, this friendly guide has plenty of information for a young bird-lover who is just get going...

I continue to find Crinkleroot a charming and informative guide, and enjoyed Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Birds quite a bit. It makes a nice companion piece to the preceding volume, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Trees. I appreciate the way in which these titles manage to be both educational and entertaining, and I find both Arnosky's artwork and his eponymous character delightful. Crinkleroot strikes me as almost a fairy-tale figure - a sort of nature spirit, or gnome - but one whose 'magical' adventures are entirely natural. I'd recommend this one to young bird-lovers and to anyone who has enjoyed other Crinkleroot books. ( )