A new field-guide by the birding powerhouse family that is Bill Thomson III and Julie Zickefoose, published by the excellent Houghton Mifflin in the notable “Peterson Field Guide” series? Now there’s a pedigree that should appeal to most birders - after all it’s almost guaranteed that it’ll be well-written, well-illustrated, and beautifully put-together. And there’s no doubt that “The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America” is indeed all of the above - and moreover the whole book has the wholly laudable aim of persuading youngsters that “birding is cool”, and helping them get off the couch and outdoors to look at birds. Excellent…(I should perhaps state at this point that though Mike has met both Bill and Julie before (in Guatemala) I haven’t, they’re not personal friends (I’m sure I’d like them if I did meet them though) and neither 10,000 Birds nor myself are on commission for potential sales. I’m going to tell you that I like this book a great deal, and I thought I should clear that up before I do.)

So, why do I like “The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America” so much? Because I remember exactly what the books that were available when I started birding were like, and they weren’t like this one. When I started birding it was a matter of using whatever was available: bird-books weren’t aimed at children of any age, many were poorly-produced, they always featured colourful, attention-grabbing vagrants that I was never going to see until I was able to drive, and carrying them around - don’t get me started, it was like putting a large house-brick in your rucksack (I used to feel that I’d fall over backwards if I tried to stand up straight). This book, on the other hand, from its wipe-clean cover and handy size to its bright and breezy text, clear photos, “Wow” factoids on each page, and the little tick-box below each species’ account is a project that has obviously been steered by someone who genuinely wants children to enjoy birding.

Designing a book like this can’t have been easy, and Bill apparently consulted with his eleven year old daughter’s class to get things just right. A wise move, and one that a more arrogant adult wouldn’t have bothered with. Perhaps they also advised on the Introduction, which features a whole host of “green” ideas, tips for what “gear” is required, and an excellent look at “birding by habitat” because it is humorous, inspiring, and modern in its approach - and (hopefully) provides just the sort of information that young, active minds will be looking for.

It must have been harder to decide which species to feature as - obviously - most young non-birders won’t know ‘what’s out there’. Add in the fact that include too many species and the book becomes unwieldy, too few and young birders might get discouraged when they repeatedly can’t identify the bird they’ve just found and I can just imagine the conversations between Bill and Julie that must have gone on long into the night. In the end Bill has plumped for 200 species, and I’m not going to argue with the choice he’s made. Most common birds are here, covering a range of habitats, and the temptation to pack the pages with beautiful birds (eg warblers) rather than drab ones (eg sparrows) has been resisted. There’s a nice spread of birds - though once a young birder becomes hooked he or she will need a regular guide to take the next step forward of course.

The big question is: will this book help young birders become hooked? It doesn’t plug in to a computer, it doesn’t come on a DVD, and books are - like, so yesterday…On the other hand, it’s attractive, it doesn’t patronise, it’s informative without being preachy - and if there was ever a time when the planet needed the younger generation to take an interest in the world around them it’s right now. I would hope that every parent in eastern North America whose child has shown any awareness in birds will buy them this book and encourage them to use it. If I were in any position of power I’d insist that every junior school had this in their library (but then I’d also insist that every school had a “wild corner” and had to employ a naturalist to manage it). To get back to the question, will this book help young birders become hooked? Every parent knows just how distracting the TV is, how many other options kids have to spend their time, but I really hope that IF there’s a glimmer of a chance that their precious offspring might be tempted off the sofa then they’ll put this book under their noses, take them for a walk, and give them the wonderful gift of discovering just how intriguing, beautiful, and (yes) entertaining our world really is.

Summary: “The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America” is well-written, well-illustrated, and beautifully put-together. Focussing on 200 carefully-chosen species, it has the wholly laudable aim of getting the young generation outside looking at birds, and if it were up to me every school in eastern North America would have this in their library. Any parent who’d like to help get their kids interested in birds should buy this book immediately!