The Big Woods Orchestra

The Big Woods Orchestra invites readers to wake up with the creatures of the forest, introducing birds and their calls one by one. Originally published in Dutch as Het grote bosorkest, Guido Van Genechten doubles as both author and illustrator. I appreciated his subtle lightening of the background of each page, beginning pitch black and dawning brighter with each turn until a brilliant yellow glowed from the inside of the back cover. The book is simple yet thoughtful in its celebration of the coming of a morning in spring when all the animals greet the day to the beautiful music of the fluttering chorus above.