I Heard a Bird
Rob Ramsden
Scallywag Press

I’m a big fan of Rob’s In the Garden books so I guess I was predisposed to like this one, which sadly, is the final title of the series.

The narrator is a little girl who greets us with a cheery wave and the words of the title. She goes on to tell readers of other sounds she’s heard in the garden – cats wailing, which results in the bird flying off in fright, the rustling of the leaves in the breeze, her feet tapping on the ground, bees buzzing among the flowers.

This child doesn’t only use her ears though, she observes with all her senses: crouching down she notices a wealth of minibeasts on the move

and keeping close to the ground, she follows a mouse into the undergrowth where she has a surprise encounter with a hopping toad.

Next comes a few minutes of mindfulness as our narrator enjoys the opportunity to listen:

following a few moments of silence she hears her own breath, her heart beating and when she opens her eyes once more there comes a pip pip pipping sound: now what could that be?

Just right for sharing with young children, Rob’s simple rhythmic text lets his beautifully patterned, screen printed illustrations carry most of the story. This book is a must for anyone who wants to encourage little ones to engage with the natural world and enjoy what it has to offer.