Woo-hoo! It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!
And I have a gift for you.
I found the greatest book!
I love birds.
I have a feeder on my deck that attracts lots of common northeastern species, and I really enjoy observing them, showing them to my children, and now grandchildren, teaching them to recognize chickadees and nuthatches, cardinals, tufted titmouses, and juncos, and telling them what they say – chicka-dee-dee-dee! 😊
This book brings dawn to life for young readers, giving them a front row seat to the morning conversation of the birds. So beautifully done, and such a great idea for a book!
Title: Anyone Else Awake?: A Dawn Chorus
Written By: Carmela LaVigna Coyle
Illustrated By: Bonnie Kelso
Publisher: Muddy Boots, January 6, 2026, fact-based fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: birds, birdsong, nature
text copyright Carmela LaVigna Coyle 2026, illustration copyright Bonnie Kelso 2026, Muddy Boots
Opening:
“Is. . .
Is. . .
Is anyone else awake-wake-wake?
warbles a robin.”
Brief Synopsis: As dawn arrives, birds greet the day and each other in the dawn chorus with joyful, excited, and even warning song, each voice individual and identifiable – eleven common species that young bird enthusiasts might see.
text copyright Carmela LaVigna Coyle 2026, illustration copyright Bonnie Kelso 2026, Muddy Boots
Links To Resources: there is very interesting and accessible back matter in the book about birds, birdsong, and the three phases of dawn; look around your neighborhood and see what birds you find – use a bird book or a bird app and maybe some binoculars to help you identify them; listen to bird songs and try to imitate them – maybe you can talk to the birds!
text copyright Carmela LaVigna Coyle 2026, illustration copyright Bonnie Kelso 2026, Muddy Boots
Why I Like This Book: This is such a lovely book! It opens with two wordless spreads (one of which is the dedication page) that show a little girl waking in soft darkness, going to a window seat cozy with bird pillows, and opening the window to music… the dawn chorus. One by one, the birds wake and sing their distinctive songs, greeting the morning and each other. Robin is first, followed by chickadee, towhee, crow, and many other common species, the sound, song, and conversation swelling, language mimicking the sound and rhythm of the bird song, as the sky brightens slowly from dark to light. A tense moment when a hawk threatens is followed by a silent spread where everyone disappears into shrub and shadow until it’s safe to come out and sing again. And finally the girl echoes the robin – “Is anyone else awake?” – and yes, her family is up for the day. The art is beautiful with the soft colors of a spring dawn brightening into full daylight and all the birds faithfully represented so that young readers will recognize them if they know them or be able to identify them in real life when they see them based on the pictures. The back matter adds a whole other layer to the book with lots of easy-to-understand information about birds, bird song, and the phases of dawn (something I never knew about before, so I learned something from this book!) A wonderful book for bird lovers and kids of all ages (including those who are technically grown-ups!)
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 😊
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Thank you for sharing. I didn’t know about the different stages of dawn either!
Anyone who thinks picture books are only for kids hasn’t read enough picture books, right, Armineh? I learn things from them all the time!
💯😊
What a great find, Susanna! I’m curious now about the ‘stages of dawn.” I can’t wait to get a hold of this book.
It’s beautiful, Maria, and so cleverly written and with so much interesting info!
What a great idea! I can hear the birds through the words 🙂
I know, Jodie, didn’t she do a great job with the writing?!
Oh my gosh! I love this book! Like you, I’m also drawn to books about birds, and this one looks stellar on many levels. With the clever and colorful illustrations, I’d say this book makes learning fun!
It really does, Leslie. Such a pretty book, and so full of interesting information!
Thanks for sharing this clever book, Susanna. As a fellow bird lover, it’s right up my alley. Looking forward to reading it.
I hope you like it, Rose! I’m looking forward to reading it with my granddaughter next time I see her… or maybe on Facetime 🙂 It’s right up her alley too!
Yes, thanks for sharing this. I too, love birds! They need to make an audible version! How cute would that be?!?
Oh, that would be so cool, Barb! What a great idea!
It’s nice to wake up to a lovely post like this. I look forward to reading this book – sounds delightful!
I’m glad you enjoyed the post! And I hope you like the book. It’s very pretty, and there’s a lot of interesting information included!
I can’t wait to get this book. A group activity helped me teach groups of children about this topic!
That sounds very interesting, Patricia! What was the activity?
I distributed index cards to each student. The card had a picture of the bird, the sound it makes, and the time it starts to sound every morning. I used a large clock to mark the minutes. It starts with the robins, and eventually all the children are making their bird sound until you have a cacophony of bird sounds! It’s loud and fun!
That sounds VERY fun, Patricia! I bet the kids loved it. Plus what a great way to learn about who starts the chorus and who joins in when!
What a wonderful book – love morning birdsong!
Me, too, Robin! And I love how it changes from season to season. People use the term “birdbrain” derogatorily, but I think birds are smarter than we give them credit for, with their sophisticated communication and ability to navigate through migration!
This is such a beautifully written and illustrated book! I got a sneak peak at this, too. It makes me feel all springy.
I think I saw Carmela’s announcement that it was coming and looked it up. I didn’t get a review copy, I actually purchased this one because it looked so good! And I was not disappointed! It makes me feel springy, too! 🙂
What a great book idea. So many hooks and so many layers. One that kids and adults will enjoy equally. Look forward to reading it!
It is a wonderful read, Marty – very fresh with the way the bird “conversation” is written – and with as much for writers to learn from as for readers to enjoy!
I love listening to the birds in the morning and trying to figure which one is chirping. This book is a must for me. Thanks!
Me, too, Deb! I am astoundingly bad at following their voices as far as actually spotting them in the trees 🙂 I hear them, but I have a hard time locating them! 🙂
I learned over time by walking in the woods with others & using a bird app. You get better with practice, just like everything else. I learned because it was a big part of a new job & loved doing it, after I improved. 😉
Sounds like an amazing job if this was a big part of it!
This book sounds so good! My school’s librarian does birding from her room- she’s got great views and feeders on trees by these big windows- and teaches the kids about birds native to PA and our area. My class would love this book as it goes perfect with what they learn from Library! Also, I had NO IDEA dawn had different stages! Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Erik! The book is terrific, and I always love a book that teaches me something I didn’t know!
What a great idea for a book! I love listening to birds in the morning…
Me, too, Sue! I’ve been messing around with a bird book myself, but I don’t have it right yet! 🙂
This PB “sounds” amazing! It’s always great to watch and listen to the birds each day! Finn, my three year old pup, will often tilt his head when he hears the birds’ morning melodies. Can’t wait to read this PB!
It’s so well done, Susan! I think you will love it! I wish my Finn would just tilt his head and listen to the birds instead of chasing them! 🙂
My Finn is a squirrel chaser…
Oh, my Finn chases those, too! If it moves, he’s after it! 🙂
As my dogs age, we’re sharing many more dawns, and this book will make letting them out a much more positive experience for me! Congrats on coming up with a truly original picture book idea!
It really is a great idea, isn’t it, Deborah? And including not just the bird song and the rhythm of their language, but also the three phases of dawn I never knew there were! 🙂
I love this book. My dad bought me a bird book when I was little, probably because my name is Robin. I love birds and have 7 bird feeders and 1 bird house. I know the Robin’s song. It wakes me up early. I may need to buy this one. Thank you.😆♥️.
The robin is the first one to appear, Robin! And I think it’s on almost every page, if I remember correctly! It’s a beautiful and interesting book!
This is fun!! I love listening to bird calls!
It is a delightful book, Angie – and such a fresh idea!