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Light as a Feather: A KidLit Bird Book Review
Will Hillenbrand’s book Light as a Feather holds love in each bird’s illustration: a hidden heart. The book was originally inspired by drawings he sent to cheer up a friend who was seriously ill. These easter eggs will make a fabulous game of “can you find” with young children.
Will Hillenbrand’s illustration of a Common Loon in his book LIGHT AS A FEATHER, with hearts hidden in the details.
The book’s subtitle is Fifteen Phenomenal North American Birds—and the book itself, published by Holiday House, is phenomenal. Starred reviews are the industry mark of books of exceptional merit, and School Library Journal’s starred review of Light as a Feather notes that “This charming pictorial work will be devoured by budding ornithologists and nature lovers alike. Highly recommended for all nonfiction collections.”
Cover of LIGHT AS A FEATHER: FIFTEEN PHENOMENAL NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, written and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Will Hillenbrand has been creating published children’s books for nearly four decades, but he started drawing nearly as soon as he could hold a pencil in his hand. His awards include a gold metal from the Society of Illustrators, the ALA (American Library Association) Notable Book Award, Best Children’s Books of the Year from Bank Street College of Education, and state book awards from both Ohio and Pennsylvania. Light as a Feather is his 81st book.
Illustration of Blue Jay from LIGHT AS A FEATHER
Structurally, there is a lot packed into this 40 page book. Each bird is featured across a double page spread. The first page, with a large illustration has the bird’s name, measurements (including wingspan), and a section on where the birds may be found and what challenges they face. For many of the birds, climate change is affecting the timing of food sources.
Habitat and challenges detail from the Purple Martin page in LIGHT AS A FEATHER
The second page of the spread begins with a question. If you’ve ever wondered about what makes bluebirds so blue, whether Loons can really yodel, or why scientists put bands on birds, this is a book to inspire.
Question and Answer structure in LIGHT AS A FEATHER, with “Why are American Robins so good at catching worms?”
Will delves into the details on each of his answers. In his Sandhill Crane section for example, he explains the purposes of bird banding, but also includes on bird anatomy with an illustration comparing the crane’s leg structure to humans, as well as information on the crane’s dance rituals.
Bird Banding page from LIGHT AS A FEATHER, with crane dance and leg anatomy
Backmatter for Light as a Feather includes an index, author’s note, resources for additional information on birds, and a section on Will’s illustration process. This section, “Shape Seeing”, discusses his process of finding shapes within shapes: “For example, if I draw the full moon and cut out its shape from light paper and put it on a dark background, it looks more like the moon to me than a pencil outline because its shape has volume.”
“Shape Seeking” section of backmatter in LIGHT AS A FEATHER, using the analogy of making a layer cake.
In addition to the backmatter, Will has created an “Art in Motion” activity for the book, which can be found here. The bird that kids draw and create can be flown like a paper airplane or hung like a mobile.
For North American birders with young kids (~4-8) in their lives, this book will make a fabulous gift—there is so much to explore within these pages. And it is natural fit for school, public and home libraries.
Light as a Feather: Fifteen Phenomenal North American Birds, written and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Holiday House, 2026; ISBN: 978-0-8234-6255-1
40 pages, ages 4-8
Written by Susan Wroble
Susan Wroble has always paid attention to the birds around her, perhaps in part because Burd is her middle name! She is always happiest when outside gardening and listening to birdsong. Coming from a family with a strong commitment to service, Susan started volunteering after college with two years in the Peace Corps in the Independent State of Western Samoa, where she taught high school math and science. Currently, she volunteers as leader of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society for Children’s Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and at the Colorado Children’s Hospital. She also leads a long-term Denver-area support group for parents of Twice-Exceptional Children. Susan’s degrees are in electrical engineering and foreign affairs, but her great love is children’s books. She writes nonfiction, and tends to focus on stories that share a message of hope in this era of climate change. She has written four children’s books for the school library market. Her book DAWN CHORUS: PROTECTING BIRDSONG AROUND THE WORLD is scheduled for publication with Holiday House in 2026.
English (US) · 
French (CA) ·