The latest addition to the Peterson Field Guides series, The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of North America is written especially for children 8–12 years old. In many ways it is a simplified field guide, aiming to ease kids into birding without overwhelming them. The real success of this book, however, is in Thompson’s light-hearted writing style, which kids will find fun, engaging, and full of tidbits of information. The value of this book is not as much to help aspiring young birders become great at bird identification but to ignite a spark of interest in birds and bird watching.