“Each day the Great Dawn Choir greets the morning sun. Together in the growing light, their voices join as one. … Here come the fairy-wrens, from bush to bush they flitter. Then perching side by side they sing … Chitter! Chitter! Chitter!”
As the sun rises each morning, the beautiful native Australian birds raise their voices with songs and calls that create a joyful, raucous chorus. From the kookaburra to the tiny wrens, they all have their own distinctive sound that announces a new day of foraging, searching for a mate or defending their territory.
Melbourne author, Sarah Speedie has written a poem that captures the personality and habits of each bird species with not only their voice, but also their description e.g. sulphur-crested cockatoos … bob and sway in time and squawk; lyrebirds strut in and sashay to the beat; a noisy pair of ravens … tilting their black heads they cry. Of course, the onomatopoeia of each bird’s voice, which is the heart of this book, articulates the song of the choir.
Cindy Lane, shortlisted for the 2022 CBCA Book of the Year Awards in the New Illustrator category, has created exquisite works of art. Beginning with the beautifully feathered endpapers, she has portrayed each bird, with the perfect amount of detail, so that they are easily recognizable. Her watercolours capture the vibrancy of their plumage and their natural posture, and, as you progress through the book, the light on the birds rises as well. Lane was awarded a Greenpeace Ambassadorship in 2017 and her obvious passion for nature is evident in her illustrations. The pairing of Speedie and Lane is inspired as it has generated this wonderful book.
With The Great Dawn Choir, CSIRO has produced another delightful educational book, which when read out loud allows the young audience to sing along with the birds that they hear each morning. As always there is an information component at the end of the book which will inspire young readers to continue investigating natural science.
Suitable for 5 – 9 year olds, it is recommended for sharing in homes, libraries and early education centres.
“Each day the Great Dawn Choir greets the morning sun. Together in the growing light, their voices join as one. … Here come the fairy-wrens, from bush to bush they flitter. Then perching side by side they sing … Chitter! Chitter! Chitter!”
