Hummingbird
Publisher: Walker Books
Every spring, hummingbirds spend the winter in Mexico and then fly north to make the most of the warmer weather. They nest as far as Canada and Alaska – a 2,000-mile trip!
Starting off with a girl and her granny in Mexico, where will the hummingbird travel on its amazing journey? And who will be lucky enought to spot one?
This is a picture book to linger over, full of rich and sumptuous illustrations by Jane Ray. There are even specks of gold amid all the heady, jewel-like colour.
It's a lovely concept, too, as we see the migration of a bird that may be a little less familiar to UK children. Along the way, as we follow their expedition, writer Nicola Davies gives us astonising facts about the hummingbird – did you know that they lose HALF of their body weight when they fly north from Mexico? – as well as sweet advice on how to look after them as they make this journey.
Always, the link between humans and animals and how we can, and should, co-exist is at the heart of the storytelling.
