All the Birds in the World

K-Gr 4–Birds in all their incredible variety throughout the world are introduced with primary-colored illustrations and a fast-moving narrative. The story’s pace is paused by its “guide”—a young kiwi with brown feathers who wonders how he fits into this vast community. He asks, “What about me?” amid the brilliant reds, blues, yellows, and purples on display. But the little kiwi with no tail, furlike feathers, and tiny hidden wings learns that he is indeed a member of this enormous family. The text compares avian qualities to familiar people, places, and things (“an ostrich can stand taller than the tallest basketball player”; a hummingbird egg is about the size of a jelly bean) to help readers visualize these birds. Every bird pictured illustrates their beaks, eggs, sizes, nests, etc., and is identified in a two-page note from author and illustrator Opie. A separate summary, “More About the Kiwi,” identifies the “star” of the book as the brown kiwi, found only in New Zealand.