It's often called the dawn chorus, and that's how this book gets its name.
The Great Dawn Choir, written by Sarah Speedie and illustrated by Cindy Lane, is a beautiful depiction of some of the many and varied Australian birds that contribute to a musical start to the day.
Just like the birds, The Great Dawn Choir has a lyrical rhythm. The text rhymes, and the onomatopoeia of the birdsong is shown in larger flowing font.
Each double page spread features a different type of bird. There are magpies, cockatoos and rainbow lorikeets, lyrebirds, kookaburras, fairy wrens, and more. You'll learn a bit about their behaviour and favoured environments.With lovely colour-washed backgrounds, reminiscent of the colour of the dawn sky, the realistic illustrations focus on the birds and are beautiful. They'll help amateur bird spotters to identify the birds in their neighbourhood. At the back of the book there's also a useful summary of the birds with a couple of key facts to add to the bird spotter's repertoire.
Visually beautiful and bound to encourage practicing of bird calls, The Great Dawn Choir is a reminder and celebration of Australia's natural world. An excellent addition to home and school libraries, it would also make a lovely gift.
Download notes for teachers from the publisher's website.
Title: The Great Dawn Choir
Author: Sarah Speedie
Illustrator: Cindy Lane
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing, $ 26.99
Publication Date: August 2025
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781486318339
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book
