What do you think?
Rate this book
Sylvia and the Birds: How The Bird Lady saved thousands of birds and how you can too
Part graphic biography, part practical guide to protecting our bird wildlife, this remarkable book for young readers and their families is fully committed to detailing the wonders of our native birds, the threats they face, and how we can help them. Based on the life of ‘The Bird Lady,’ Sylvia Durrant, who helped over 140,000 sick, injured, and lost birds during her lifetime, it inspires a reverence for the natural world and is a call to action for all young ecologists and environmentalists. With charming illustrations by Sarah Laing, an engrossing text, activities, and how-tos, it offers hours of enchantment and engagement. Whimsical, loving, and layered, Sylvia and the Birds makes a unique contribution to children’s knowledge of the natural world.
- GenresNonfictionGraphic Novels
176 pages, Hardcover
Published January 12, 2023
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 24, 2023
I'm a big fan of Sarah Laing and have been hanging out to get hold of this book since it was published. So I went into it with a predisposition to love it. And love it I did!
There is such a lot to love. The format is interesting. It is part graphic, part informational, part photographic journey. It really does have it all. And it is all tied together in a really appealing way.
This is above all a memoir of Sylvia and her love of birds, her passion to save as many as she possibly can and her passion for training others to work alongside her and to pass her legacy onto. The story of her life, growing up in foster care, what it was like to be a young child who was abandoned by her parents, given to families who had often as many as 10 other kids to look after, it was not an easy life. I loved reading about Sylvia and her life and loves. All captured so beautifully in graphics and in wonderful photographs.
The final part of the book is a call to action. It shows you how to look after birds who have lost their parents, who have damaged themselves and how to feed the wild birds in your neighbourhood. None of this is preachy, the tone is just right.
This is a book for young and old. A really lovely present book. I just adored it and think of all the kids who love birds that I've met doing my project who would appreciate it. A gem of a book.
There is such a lot to love. The format is interesting. It is part graphic, part informational, part photographic journey. It really does have it all. And it is all tied together in a really appealing way.
This is above all a memoir of Sylvia and her love of birds, her passion to save as many as she possibly can and her passion for training others to work alongside her and to pass her legacy onto. The story of her life, growing up in foster care, what it was like to be a young child who was abandoned by her parents, given to families who had often as many as 10 other kids to look after, it was not an easy life. I loved reading about Sylvia and her life and loves. All captured so beautifully in graphics and in wonderful photographs.
The final part of the book is a call to action. It shows you how to look after birds who have lost their parents, who have damaged themselves and how to feed the wild birds in your neighbourhood. None of this is preachy, the tone is just right.
This is a book for young and old. A really lovely present book. I just adored it and think of all the kids who love birds that I've met doing my project who would appreciate it. A gem of a book.
June 30, 2023
This is such an odd mix of genres in one book that I don’t even understand how it got published or who it’s aimed at 🤣
There is memoir/autobiography of Sylvia’s life, (written first person, although she is not listed as a co-author), comic style sections of her imparting her bird knowledge to others, information about kaitiakitangi (caretaking/ guardianship) of birds and the environment, te ao Māori, and then activities and facts about the birds themselves.
But I loved it and went and bought a copy for my family. And it is nominated in the 2023 NZ children’s book awards for non-fiction.
Sylvia’s story is worthwhile of a memoir in its own right, and the whole publication is beautiful throughout: illustrations, layout, thick paper, and colours.
My kids liked the page on poo (of course 🙄) but there’s heaps of great stuff throughout from what to do if you find an injured bird, mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge), to how to plant your backyard to be bird friendly.
There is memoir/autobiography of Sylvia’s life, (written first person, although she is not listed as a co-author), comic style sections of her imparting her bird knowledge to others, information about kaitiakitangi (caretaking/ guardianship) of birds and the environment, te ao Māori, and then activities and facts about the birds themselves.
But I loved it and went and bought a copy for my family. And it is nominated in the 2023 NZ children’s book awards for non-fiction.
Sylvia’s story is worthwhile of a memoir in its own right, and the whole publication is beautiful throughout: illustrations, layout, thick paper, and colours.
My kids liked the page on poo (of course 🙄) but there’s heaps of great stuff throughout from what to do if you find an injured bird, mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge), to how to plant your backyard to be bird friendly.
January 29, 2023
This is an absolutely fabulous part graphic, part text, non fiction account of Bird Lady Sylvia Durrant.
Her early life is compelling as she was fostered out with her siblings when her mother left her father - and then her children.
She trained as a nurse, married and had five sons, and they lived all over New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. When her marriage broke down, she returned to Auckland and started to care for rescue birds.
As well as telling us all about Sylvia, the book goes into detail about various birds, and their predators, and there is a chapter looking at kaitiakitanga and how we can best look after our environment.
The book also features photographs, quizzes and a pair of cheeky keruru who narrate part of the story.
It is an absolute gem of a book and would be fabulous for anyone who loves nature, and birds in particular.
Her early life is compelling as she was fostered out with her siblings when her mother left her father - and then her children.
She trained as a nurse, married and had five sons, and they lived all over New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. When her marriage broke down, she returned to Auckland and started to care for rescue birds.
As well as telling us all about Sylvia, the book goes into detail about various birds, and their predators, and there is a chapter looking at kaitiakitanga and how we can best look after our environment.
The book also features photographs, quizzes and a pair of cheeky keruru who narrate part of the story.
It is an absolute gem of a book and would be fabulous for anyone who loves nature, and birds in particular.
June 20, 2023
Beautiful graphic novel about Sylvia Durrant. What an impressive life and so wonderful the gift of service to birds and the people of NZ. Lovely to read her story then also the fun ways we can help wildlife in our own backyard. Good practical tips and education. Loved the "how to get a bird out of the house guide, the match chick to parents activity, the info about predators.
Informative and fun book. Will gift on, to spread the word.
E kore Au E ngaro, He kākano i ruia mai i rangiātea
I will never be lost, for I am the seed which was sown from Rangiātea
Hei tiaki i te whenua
hei tiaki i te moana
hei tiaki i te whānau
hei tiaki i ngā tamariki, mokopuna
He kaitiaki koe,
he kaitiaki au
look after the land,
look after the oceans
look after the family, the children, the grandchildren
You are a guardian
I am a guardian
Keeping up with the kororā youtube
Informative and fun book. Will gift on, to spread the word.
E kore Au E ngaro, He kākano i ruia mai i rangiātea
I will never be lost, for I am the seed which was sown from Rangiātea
Hei tiaki i te whenua
hei tiaki i te moana
hei tiaki i te whānau
hei tiaki i ngā tamariki, mokopuna
He kaitiaki koe,
he kaitiaki au
look after the land,
look after the oceans
look after the family, the children, the grandchildren
You are a guardian
I am a guardian
Keeping up with the kororā youtube
September 28, 2022
Absolutely fabulous book. Although this book is aimed at a younger audience, I think everyone can benefit from reading it. I purchased it for our school library and was captivated while processing it. I certainly learned a lot about our native birds and the amazing people in Aotearoa who are committed to protecting them. Love the mix of graphic biography and text.
March 2, 2023
4.5 stars
August 24, 2024
What am amazing book! Wonderful story telling and educational about nz birds and how you can help to save more birds in your own backyard. I loved the illustrations and learning about sylvias life.
November 10, 2024
Kids book and real great fun & informative ! Will need a copy one day in the distant future
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews