Skip to Main Content

How to Find a Bird

Illustrated by Diana Sudyka

About The Book

A joyful and informative guide to birdwatching for budding young birders from an award-winning author-illustrator duo.

How do you find a bird? There are so many ways! Begin by watching. And listening. And staying quiet, so quiet you can hear your own heartbeat. Soon you’ll see that there are birds everywhere—up in the sky, down on the ground, sometimes even right in front of you just waiting to be discovered!

Young bird lovers will adore this lushly illustrated introduction to how to spot and observe our feathered friends. It features more than fifty different species, from the giant whooping crane to the tiny ruby-throated hummingbird, and so many in between, and a detailed author’s note provides even more information about birding for curious readers. This celebration of the wondrous variety, colors, and sounds of the avian world is sure to have children grabbing their binoculars and heading outside to explore.

About The Author

Photograph by K. Volk

Jennifer Ward has written numerous award-winning picture books, including Just You and Me, illustrated by Alexander Vidal; How to Find a Bird, illustrated by Diana Sudyka; Round, illustrated by Lisa Congdon; and Mama Built a Little Nest and Mama Dug a Little Den, both illustrated by Steve Jenkins. A former elementary educator, Jennifer now travels the country as a public speaker visiting schools and literacy conferences. She lives with her family in Edwardsville, Illinois. Visit her at JenniferWardBooks.com.

About The Illustrator

Photo courtesy of the illustrator

Diana Sudyka is a Chicago-based illustrator. Early on, she created screen-printed gig posters for musicians but currently her illustration work focuses on young adult, middle grade, and children’s books. She has illustrated several volumes of the award-winning book series The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart and Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley, as well as the picture books Would You Come Too? by Liz Garton Scanlon, Sometimes Rain by Meg Fleming, What Miss Mitchell Saw by Hayley Barrett, How to Find a Bird by Jennifer Ward, and Fungi Grow by Maria Gianferrari. Visit her at DianaSudyka.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Beach Lane Books (August 4, 2020)
  • Length: 48 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781481467063
  • Ages: 4 - 8

Browse Related Books

Raves and Reviews

A veteran birder invites young readers to look for the birds around them....Ward makes clear why birds are where they are. Some are feeding or nesting on the ground; some are snacking or splashing in the water; some are high in the sky; others perch on wires or feed in your own backyard. Sudyka’s opaque watercolors are as engaging as the text....An afterword for older readers or caregivers provides good suggestions and further resources. Bird-finding made easy and attractive.

– Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2020

Beautiful and fascinating birds exist all around, according to Ward’s new guide on amateur ornithology....Ward, an avian enthusiast, advises readers to look on the ground, try to detect camouflaged birds, and remain still and quiet to hear bird sounds. Sudyka’s illustrations are stunning and detailed. Each bird is labeled, and the sounds the birds make swoop across the page in varied fonts. The text itself is simple and engaging, and Ward’s passion for birds and love of nature are apparent. VERDICT This brief and visually captivating title will inspire readers to get outside and watch birds.–Kaitlin ­Malixi, Kensington Health Sciences ­Academy, Philadelphia

– School Library Journal, 6/1/20

Awards and Honors

  • Kansas NEA Reading Circle List PrimaryTitle
  • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
  • A Baker's Dozen Title (PA)
  • Eureka! Excellence in Nonfiction Award Honor Title (CA)
  • AAAS/Subaru Book Prize Longlist Title

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Jennifer Ward

More books from this illustrator: Diana Sudyka