Charley Harper liked to say, “I could never get close enough to count the feathers in the wings, so I just count the wings.” His colorful bird illustrations are shown in minimal realism that hints more than it shows in this reprint of the 1974 classic.
Long feather tendrils grace a snowy egret’s head and back. Barn swallows are long and elegant, with sharply pointed wings. The cardinal is a study in bright red with a sharply pronounced black bib. A flock of starlings is a blur of black, green and purple with white spots.
Along with these and other bird illustrations, Harper provides his own unique commentary about each species. Although this is no carefully detailed Audubon book, Birds & Words will make any bird lover smile at these lovely creations.
Reviewer: Alice Berger