Debut picture book author and naturalist Taunya English and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Raissa Figueroa (illustrator, We Wait for the Sun, Esi the Brave) deliver an exquisite, one-of-a-kind love story about the activity of birding in Honeybird Blue, a picture book featuring a birdwatching father/daughter pair.
Honeybird and Pop are at a national park for a "Black Birders Meetup" to practice "EARbirding," in which birders identify the species by song or call. Honeybird, wearing a puff ponytail, green romper, and bright yellow boots, is ready to search for the birds on her list, each identified by color ("Orange" robin? Tick!). The bird she especially wants to find is the great blue heron. Honeybird and Pop spend all day checking birds off the list ("Green" ducks, "Brown" geese), but Blue remains unseen. As the sun sets and Honeybird, Pop, and a group of Black birders take a selfie on their way out, they hear a loud "FRAWNK!" Could it be? "My last color," Honeybird narrates. "Tick!"
English thoughtfully balances the contrast of stillness and wildness in nature with scenes of Honeybird and her dad "tiptoe-squish[ing]" through the marsh only to be alerted to a bird's proximity by a loud "Tat! Tat! Tat!" or "HONK!" Figueroa's digital illustrations include abundant sunlight (from sunrise to sunset) and bountiful textures, creating a thriving environment. Despite all the (avian) celebrity appearances, Honeybird and Pop remain at the picture book's core, allowing for a gentle story about joy, perseverance, and listening to the natural world. --Kharissa Kenner, school media specialist, Churchill School and Center