Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine and 💯 😝
I am excited to share a book that my daughter and I were both super excited to read, “Ruby’s Birds” by Mya Thompson and Illustrated by Claudia Dávila.
I first noticed “Ruby’s Birds on the Instagram page of Here Wee Read and I left of comment about bird watching (and just couldn’t help but notice the amazing #blackgirlmagic on the cover either)!!
I will admit, I always wondered why people went birdwatching and there was a movie about it. I always viewed birdwatching as boring and a waste of time! 🤦🏾♀️ Then a few years ago while my family and I were visiting a nature center, we sat down and did some bird watching!!!
IT WAS AMAZING!!
I will explain more of our bird watching experiences later, let’s get back to this awesome book!
SUMMARY
“Ruby’s Bird” is a cute story of young Ruby being introduced to the wonderful experience of birdwatching.
The book starts out like most days of summer for any adolescent….BORED!
Ruby is passing the time by entertaining herself doing various things.
An older neighbor from below hears Ruby’s persistence to keep busy and offers to take her for a walk around Central Park
While in the park, her neighbor, Eva, introduces Ruby to birdwatching and Ruby is instantly intrigued.
The book ends with Ruby sharing her new found hobby, birdwatching, with her family on a nature walk through Central Park.
My Review
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book for any parent that wants to introduce their child to the wonders of bird watching. The story is very relatable for any kid out of school for the summer and BORED! Lol.
I really enjoyed the idea of an older neighbor influencing Ruby in a positive way. It really adds an element of community to the book. I also liked how the bird that Ruby and Eva identify in the park connects to Eva on a personal level. (You will have to read the book to find out. 😊)
I especially loved the resources provided at the end of the book. There is even a page of various bird types to learn about. Also, I loved Ruby’s tips for a nature walk!!! Anything that gets my kids excited to be out and about in nature, I LOVE!
My only gripe with the book was I felt the story could have been just a little longer. My daughter and I got really into Ruby and Eva, so we wanted just another page or two. But for an introductory book on birds and birdwatching it was good! Even though, it was not as long as we would have liked, that has not stopped my daughter from requesting to read it (and find new birds as well).
Speaking of birdwatching! It is kind of like my family’s thing to do is to find birds, listen for bird calls, and try to identify them. My daughter is learning some bird calls and my son is really good at identifying various birds. Thus far, we have seen an Eastern Starling, American Robin, Eagle, House Sparrow, Red Bellied Woodpeckers, and Eastern Bluebird.
If you want to learn bird calls, download the app
“Audubon” by The Audubon Society
Another Great Bird Resource!!!!
Locations in the Washington, DC for great birdwatching
- Brookside Nature Center, Silver Spring MD
- Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria VA
- River Mill Park, Occoquan VA
About the Author
Dr. Mya Thompson is an Instructional Designer, Expert in Animal Communication and Behavior and the Project Leader at Bird Academy.
To learn more about the author, Mya Thompson, click here!
Also, make sure to check out The Cornell Lab
