The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus

Nothing can beat experiencing the dawn chorus first hand, however, this enchanting book makes a fine hors d’oeuvre to prepare your family for the real deal. The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus is part of an ongoing series that aims to attune both young and adult ears to the sounds of Britain’s wildlife. The book’s unique selling point is its sound bar, which provides instant access to the vocalisations of 10 commonly heard birds in spring.

To my five-year-old son, who was happy to test the title’s appeal, the experience of pressing bird-emblazoned buttons for instant aural gratification were a hit. Within five minutes his restless little fingers had played each of the different songs countless times.

The carefully crafted text accompanying each species makes this book both fun and educational but my only criticism would be with the choice of some of the birds. I think blackcap and dunnock would have been better than swallow and house sparrow. Mike Dilger Naturalist and BBC Wildlife columnist (see p14)