birds – Book Craic

Have you ever wondered what a Peachick is? Could it be related to a chickpea? This is a brilliantly funny and imaginative story which addresses just that question with oodles of humour and a fantastic range of chick creations. Meet a celery chick, a dragon fruit chick and even a runner bean chick. And what if socks and shoes, and even the loo, had chicks? But, will the young reader ever learn the answer to this question?

This is such an appealing adventure for young readers who I have no doubt will have great fun creating their own chicks from everyday, familiar items. I loved the natural curiosity of the young narrator who makes some wonderfully weird associations and makes a leap of imagination from food associations to everyday objects.

The text is playful with lots of questions to pique the interest of young readers. The use of alliteration, repetition and rhyme makes this a memorable, engaging read.

The illustrations are gorgeous and are drawn against mostly bright backgrounds with a vibrant colour palette with repetition of beaks, eyes and feet to make the curious collection of chicks easily recognisable in all their brilliant and weird representations. I particularly loved the celery chicks and the umbrella chicks.

This is a gorgeous hardback picture book for young readers of 3+ who will adore meeting chicks in all their fantastically imaginative creations.

Thank you to The O’Brien Press for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

*Written by M.G. Leonard*
*Cover illustrations by Paddy Donnelly*
*Map* *illustrations by Laurissa Jones*
*Published by Walker Books*

Feather is the final wintery adventure in The Twitchers seasonal mystery quartet, and, oh my goodness, what an exhilarating and heart-warming ending to a series that has completely captured me with its intriguing mysteries, daring sleuths and superstars of the bird world.

Ava is on a school trip to the Royal Swan Natural History Museum when she discovers that a heist has taken place: hundreds of bird of paradise skins from the Alfred Wallace collection have been stolen. The only clue is a large, black feather left on the floor, but the police are not interested. The Twitchers have found their next case …

And so begins another fantastic mystery as the Twitchers find themselves following a trail of clues which leads them into ever-increasing peril. Could the mysterious girl, who Ava meets outside the museum, and her raven help solve the mystery? Will the Twitchers be able to outwit a dangerous gang of thieves and recover the bird skins before time runs out?

This is a brilliantly fast-paced and action-packed mystery that kept me gripped throughout. I loved following the Twitchers as they work together to piece together clues, putting themselves in danger to help someone in need as well as working as a team to attempt to recover the bird skins for the Museum. There is a real feeling of urgency and a genuine sense of danger as the children get closer and closer to uncovering the truth, but will they be able to escape the clutches of devious criminals who will stop at nothing to escape justice?

I adore this group of friends who have been brought together through an appreciation of bird-watching and caring for the environment. Their friendship feels incredibly authentic and I love the camaraderie between them. They all have their strengths which, when brought together, makes them a formidable sleuthing team. Ava discovers the heist at the museum and immediately takes the case to her friends. She shows herself to be incredibly kind-hearted and empathetic when dealing with a difficult situation. I love how Ava, Tara, Twitch, Jack, Terry, Ozuru and Tippi are so supportive of each other, their curious natures and their tenacity in bringing criminals to justice. Their respect for, and enjoyment of, the natural environment, and their passion for bird-watching and protecting birds, really shines through in these adventures.

Feather is a perfect ending to this exceptional adventure series which celebrates bird-watching, caring for the environment and friendship as well as having a fantastic mystery at its heart. I know that, just like Twitch, Spark and Clutch, this one will be flying off my class library shelves.