In 2020, a racist incident catapulted Christian Cooper into the public eye. While bird-watching in Central Park, he asked a white woman to leash her dog; she called the police, falsely claiming that a Black man was menacing her. Cooper was ultimately vindicated, and over the last few years, he’s used his newfound visibility to challenge notions of what a bird-watcher looks like. He began hosting the National Geographic TV show Extraordinary Birder, created a digital comic about his 2020 experience, and published an adult memoir, Better Living Through Birding (Random House, 2023). Throughout, he’s raised awareness of the prejudice that he and other Black birders face. As he says in his memoir, “We write our own sort of Green Book…keeping a mental map of where we do and don’t feel we can bird, camp, hike, or climb, safe from possible harassment and harm. There are areas, sometimes entire swaths, of the United States where we won’t venture—alone or at all.”

Though birding has historically been an overwhelmingly white activity, Cooper shows that it doesn’t have to remain that way. Happily, he’ll soon be able to reach a younger audience; his debut picture book, The Urban Owls (Little, Brown), will be released in February 2025. And he isn’t alone. Numerous young readers’ titles this year center on Black and brown children developing a love of birding. Most of these tales don’t directly address race (and Cooper’s focuses solely on birds), but all send a much-needed message: Bird-watching is for everyone.

Two picture books follow youngsters at different stages of their birding journeys. In Murry Burgess’ Sparrow Loves Birds, illustrated by Tamisha Anthony (Christy Ottaviano Books, June 11), an aptly named child observes, with infectious joy, everything from cardinals to chickadees. Ornithologist Burgess reassures readers that they needn’t live in rural areas to appreciate nature; bustling suburbs are rife with wildlife, too.

By contrast, the protagonist of Sara Levine’s A Terrible Place for a Nest, illustrated by Erika Meza (Roaring Brook Press, July 30), looks askance at everything in his new home, including a pair of mourning doves in the yard. But when the nest is accidentally destroyed, Juno helps them rebuild and begins to adjust to his family’s move. This quietly revelatory tale makes clear that a passion for birding can often catch us by surprise.

Brenda Woods’ spare yet moving novel With Just One Wing (Nancy Paulsen Books, May 14) also demonstrates the healing power of nature. Eleven-year-old Cooper observes a family of mockingbirds in his grandparents’ backyard and helps raise one of the hatchlings, born with just a single wing. The intrepid little bird spurs him to unpack complex emotions about having been adopted as a baby.

Fifth grader Nyla, the protagonist of Jennifer Ann Richter’s Bird Nerd (Holiday House, Oct. 22), is initially thrilled that her classmates will be competing against another school in a birding tournament, but her excitement fades when she realizes that the students at the wealthier, predominantly white, suburban Penn Elementary have far more resources than the kids at her school. Along with guidance for would-be birders, Richter gently but candidly explores privilege and friendship drama as Nyla comes into her own.

Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.