The Birders: An Unexpected Encounter in the Northwest Woods

Two birds of a feather—one elderly and the other youthful—flock together due to a snowy owl in this sweet but formulaic outdoor excursion. Bespectacled Mr. Flynn, white with a frothy gray mustache, sits alone among his framed bird illustrations, wondering if “all his adventures were behind him.” When “a flash of white feathers” passes by his window, he hurries to the sidewalk with his binoculars and collides with Ollie McPhee, a pale-skinned redheaded dynamo who is likewise tired of staying indoors. True to type, curmudgeon and whippersnapper annoy each other, but via the mostly conversational text, the pair bond over their shared goal of tracking the owl. Age-related observations are exchanged (“You might scare it... Your knees sound like popcorn when you move,” Ollie says), creative curses are expressed (“Flappity finch!” the characters cry with every pratfall), and wisdom is dispensed (about keeping a birding journal: “It’s not about the birds you miss but all you learn and the memories you gain,” Mr. Flynn waxes). Albanese (Oscar: A Frogfish’s Guide to the Aquarium) works in caricaturish comic panels, with static backdrops of shrubbery and houses. A pair of tiny, round bird sidekicks mirror Mr. Flynn and Ollie’s attitudes, underlining the jocular mood, while more accurate, labeled bird illustrations decorate the end pages. The best birding comedy here comes courtesy of the snowy owl, which reveals only its tail and talons to readers until appearing in full view in the book’s back matter, which discusses keeping a birding journal and offers facts about snowy owls. Ages 5–9. (Jan.)