A Box of Birds: A quick rundown of the bird books of 2022

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The Sapling editor and picture book author Linda Jane Keegan gives a summary and her two cents on 20 bird books released this year.

Some might suggest (okay, they have suggested, multiple times) that there are too many bird books in New Zealand publishing, and I must concede there is a lot. Many are amazing, some are…not to my tastes. But too many? It’s merely a reflection of what book-buying adults choose for their whānau, and they are choosing books that highlight our native fauna, the birds of which are particularly iconic. Here and overseas, there is certainly no lack of books about bears, dogs, cats, pigs, rabbits, elephants… so why shouldn’t we embrace our unique and baffling creatures? (There are two titles featuring kākāpō, and if they are not the quintessence of novelty animals, I don’t know what are).

By my count, there are 20 New Zealand-published bird books that were released this year: sixteen through traditional publishers, and three self-published. Sixteen are about native birds, and four are about introduced/naturalised species. Five are strictly non-fiction, though a number of others are either based on a true story or encompass facts within the narrative. 

Here are my hot takes, organised by traditionally and self-published, and native and non-native birds. Otherwise, they are in no particular order.

Traditionally published

Lavishly illustrated rhyming story of a kākāpō who finds her own way to fly. Spoiler alert, she builds a plane, bringing the climax a bit suddenly but hey – what you can do if your put your mind to it! Nice book design, I like the title fonts and internal typesetting AND there are kākāpō facts in the back – living the dream! Just like Kara!

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I admit I was a little dubious at first glance, but I was pleasantly surprised and really liked it. Dougal delightfully dances all kinds of moves in all kinds of outfits. It’s cute, it rhymes, and this male kākāpō is not too cool to wear a tutu. There is also a video that goes with it showing people demonstrating all the different dances!

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Here comes another rhymer featuring a paradise shelduck who tries to make it on his own, only to encounter a hunter and a decoy duck. Luckily a friendly bittern is there to help! The illustrations are full of movement and very Digital with a capital D. There are some well-penned verses but overall, I wasn’t that keen on the writing.

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The first thing I noticed about this book is the absolutely stunning illustrations. Beautiful watercolours of different Chatham Island birds accompany line drawings of the weka and scenery. The text is, surprise surprise, in rhyme and flows beautifully without letting the rhyme dictate the narrative. A related fact appears at the bottom of each spread. Easily one of my favourite bird books of the year.

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Thirteen iconic sea creatures (five of which are birds, so I’ll still call it a bird book!) are described in rhyme with delightful language and imagery – ‘eye-popping, spyhopping’ orca, and ‘harrumphing, galumphing’ Weddell seals. Fun to read though clunky in a couple of places. Dave Gunson fans will no doubt recognise and enjoy his illustrations.

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It’s true, I’m guilty of adding to the plethora of rhyming New Zealand bird books. This one joins the series of based on true events stories all illustrated by Jenny Cooper. I love how the background human characters have varying skin tones, hair types and cultural wear. I have other opinions about the book here.

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What a delightful book! If you’ve read any of my other reviews you’ll know I’m not only a pedant but a super nature nerd, and I love this non-fiction take on our native manu. Donovan’s cartoon style accurately depicts the different species and includes a handy size comparison guide – each bird next to a two-litre milk bottle. The text is in bite-sized chunks and perfectly pitched to younger readers keen to know more about both living and extinct species. Another favourite.

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“It’s a wonderful book for an independent reader or the whole family to enjoy. I cannot recommend it more highly!” A stunning graphic biography and bird protection guide. I raved about it here.

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Twenty-one native birds are covered in 20 rhyming poems in this addition to the bird book canon, with all the usual suspects. The design and illustration are the strong points for this book for me. The scansion did not always work, and some words used to rhyme (e.g. wings) are doing more than their fair share of the work. That being said, it’s a very nice-looking book with facts woven into the rhymes so kei te pai.

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Fans of BatKiwi will enjoy this sequel which introduces Tuatara, who is convinced a moa is out in the bush and going to eat her. I’m not quite convinced by Tuatara’s extreme fear suddenly evolving into a calm chat but I like the ending and Isobel Joy Te Aho-White’s illustrations are lovely as usual.

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This lovely board book follows Kat’s signature style and has an array of different birds and related vocabulary both in English and te reo. Its pastel palette and simple design will make it well-liked by children and the adults reading with them. It forms a series with books also about mammals, clothing, feelings, opposites, and colours, shapes and numbers.

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Another lovely bilingual board book in English and te reo Māori, counting from one to 10. The colours and design are very attractive and the pictures beautifully detailed.

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Although not a native bird, a ubiquitous one. A surly Big Pigeon is trying to pigeonhole (you get the joke) Little Pigeon. Little Pigeon will not have a bar of it. The turning point – spoiler alert, they all escape their pigeon holes – comes a bit suddenly but it’s a nice if not slightly didactic message. Nikki’s illustration style suits the story perfectly.

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Another non-native, Goose the Artist joins their predecessors Puffin, Hound and Moose, in another delightful round of rhyming fun and antics. Richly illustrated with plenty to look at, and styles of famous artists to keep an eye out for. A fab addition to the series.

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A very sweet story of a magpie who becomes part of a family with a human and a cat before eventually spreading her wings and leaving the nest (see what I did there?). Written in prose, it’s a true story and very charming. The writing is good, the illustrations are good, it’s an all-round nice book and lovely to read.

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Reprints & New Editions

If I can count correctly this must the third reprint for this book so it must be doing alright! I’m not personally a fan; I don’t think it scans well and the art style appears unpolished to me. Comes with a CD with accompanying song in English and te reo (I confess I haven’t listened to it, but I suspect the rhythm works better in song than as a read-aloud).

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First published in 2011, now an English/te reo Māori/Mandarin version is available. Although the motives of the organisation behind its release – New Zealand Chinese Language Week – may be questionable, I think, as a Singaporean-born Chinese-Pākehā person with no knowledge of my actual mother’s tongues, it is nice to see Mandarin included in New Zealand picture books. I was even asked the other day, in my role as a library employee, if we had any picture books in Chinese and I was pleased to add this one to the selection.

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Self-Published Titles

What do you know, birds AND farts! I confess that fart books are not my favourite, but children think farts are funny and this book is for children so, so far so good. I love the rich colours of the illustrations and the way the kid moves through the scenes on each page. The rhyme scheme is not as smooth as it could be, but I didn’t stumble over it. Lots of repetition which is either fun or tiresome depending on your mood.

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From Wheelers:

“It is a story about how a cat and an owl became friends, and their adventures together. They overcome fear and stand up for each other, showing the value of having a friend you can rely on. The story is told in two languages, English and German, on each page. It is suitable as a teaching aid for beginner learners of the German language.”

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From Copypress:

“Pa had done all he could do to build two beautiful brick burrows.

They were warm, dry, and dark

but still, Peter and Pippa preferred to live under the Little old cottage with the red roof and the green door.

What else could he do?? Would the next generation of Little blue penguins at Granity, find them attractive and use them to raise their family, out of the clutches of Guts-ache the cat?…”

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