Birds of a Feather: A Book of Idioms and Silly Pictures

My daughter loves this book and another book called A Bowl Full of Cherries. Great pictures and easily explains idioms.

Cute book but thought the idiom illustrations could have been different.

My rating 4.25.As adults we have heard idioms all our lives but you can well imagine that a child might wonder what is meant by “ants in his pants” or “bull in a china shop”. And what are “goosebumps” or a “wild goose chase”?This book covers sixteen or so well-known idioms. The book states the idiom with a whimsical, interpretive and engaging illustration. The meaning of the idiom, and an example using it in a sentence, is shown upside down on the bottom of the page. Some images, like “barking up a tree” and “raining cats and dogs” are perfectly fitting. Other illustrations did not fit as well in my view, even though they were all fun.I love words and the meaning of words, so I was naturally drawn to this. I have also read and enjoyed two other books by Vanita Oelschlager. I found the tone and intent of the work delightful and think it would be wonderful to use with children.Source: 2019 NetGalley.

"Birds of a Feather" introduces children to the concept of idioms in a very simple and straightforward way. For each idiom, there is a large and colorful illustration demonstrating what one might think the phrase means based on the individual words (for “barking up the wrong tree” there is an image of a dog barking up one tree, while the cat he is chasing resides at the top of the tree just behind him), followed by the actual meaning of the idiom and the phrase used in a sentence.It’s a very quick read and the illustrations are a lot of fun. My children just learned about idioms last year, in 1st grade, and my son has been inserting idioms into his speech ever since (and then informing me that he has just used an idiom, and what an idiom is). When I saw this book was available, I gravitated towards it for that exact reason. Two of my kiddos read it with me the second time around and they giggled at several of the illustrations, and both agreed that it was a good way to explain idioms to kids who might find them confusing.Note: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I pride myself on writing fair and honest reviews.

Vanita Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Birds of a Feather: A Book of Idioms and Silly Pictures. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.Author Vanita Oelschlager has done a great job of explaining the idea of idioms on a child's level, but where this book really shines is with the illustrations. Robin Hegan has made the book come to life, with vibrant illustrations that have life and movement. Each idiom is displayed with such character that will captivate children while teaching them something new.Each idiom is given a definition, along with the phrase used in a sentence that children will understand. The idea of an idiom is a complex one, but both the author and the illustrator have done a good job of bringing it down to a child's level. I would absolutely recommend the book for both a classroom setting or a home library, as Birds of a Feather will help both parents and educators explain the concept of the idiom in a fun and colorful manner.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.I really loved the idea for this! The illustrations were beautiful, but I did have a problem with one: Let the cat out of the bag. It was a little too much. I understand the need to adequately convey the idiom through imagery, but I also think it sends the wrong message to kids. We shouldn't put animals in bags and tie them up, not even as a joke in a children's book. I feel like this could have been depicted in a better way.My second issue with this book was the captions. They're upside down. Do you know how difficult it was to continuously flip the book over (impossible on an iPad that keeps adjusting the screen), to read the descriptions for the idioms? The idioms themselves were short and to the point, but the upside down portion (explanation and example) were a lot longer. My son was also frustrated because he wanted to look at the pictures, and I had to try and angle the book in a way that would allow me to read the captions. About halfway through I stopped flipping the book over and just gave my own explanations. I think it was a lovely idea that could have been executed better.Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on May 18, 2018.

If you have not already seen the picture book Birds of a Feather, I am going to let the cat out of the bag and tell you that Vanita Oelschlager and Robin Hegan created a delightful take on idioms with this bookChildren will be bright eyed and bushy tailed as they turn each page of these silly sayings. Each word and phrase is matched with an adorably hilarious illustration, like, Ants in your pants. And when the book is flipped upside down, the hidden meaning of the idiom and usage in a sentence is readable.This is a perfectly entertaining book for children to be as snug as a bug in the rug during story time. It is also an excellent resource for teachers to use in a classroom to teach children about word play while allowing them to have fun learning about these common expressions.I got Goosebumps when I viewed the Bull in a china shop page. This book, I do highly recommend. Reviewed for Net Galley

Excellent ,explains things brilliantly