Some Birds

Colorful, barrel-chested birds with extravagant plumage in geometrical shapes star in this visually rich offering. “Some birds twitch,/ some birds tweet,/ and some birds swim fast with webbed flipper feet,” reads a typically upbeat rhyme. It’s less an introduction to specific birds than a freewheeling poem, though readers will likely recognize penguins, an eagle, and a woodpecker that makes holes “with a rat-a-tat-tat!” There’s a hint of 1970s-era psychedelia in the birds’ feathers; with thick outlines and jewel-like colors, they resemble kaleidoscope patterns. Spink also emphasizes how being a free bird beats the alternative: “Some birds are caged,/ but most birds are free./ A much better life I’m sure you’ll agree.” Ages 3–5. (Mar.)