Written over 100 years ago, this series introduces children to inhabitants of the outdoors, providing them fascinating details about the lives of different species. Each book ranges in size from 48 to 80 pages, with short, topical chapters examining members of a group, or an aspect of their lives. In Birds of the Air, the 15 chapters examine bird song, bird nests, how birds feed their young, bird migration, birds of prey, web-footed birds, and much more. In other books, such as Insect Life, chapters look at different types of insects, like moths, butterflies, "good" and "bad" beetles, wasps, bees, flies, crickets, grasshoppers and ants. The writing is warm and descriptive, reminding you of an aunt that just so happens to be a naturalist, who guides you around the countryside, telling you about the secrets of creatures. The text often references the observations that the reader is sure to make, and each chapter closes with an "assignment" to make your own observations, like drawing a wasp's nest, or comparing the wild and domesticated forms of a plant. There are both beautiful, full-color illustrations and more frequent black-and-white illustrations that are not quite as crisp, but still helpful. The series was written to an assumed audience of British children, and although this does not affect most of the content (many of Great Britain's common creatures are also found here), you may want to research some topics to find creatures that are more accessible to your location, or simply skip those parts. Overall, a charming series with some of the flavor of Christian Liberty's Nature Readers. pb. - Jess
