Pierce: A Woodpecker's Tale by Sean Cassidy

Despite what his mother thinks, Pierce, a young woodpecker, thinks he is ready to leave the nest and find his own food. After trying to find bugs in the homes of a skunk, an owl, and other woodland animals, all with near disastrous results, he ends up messing with a bee hive. Fortunately he make it back home safe, yet unchastened by his adventures.

The back of the book is filled with numerous activities and information about woodpeckers and the other animals mentioned in the text. This ranges from showing how to draw a woodpecker,to searching for woodpeckers hidden in the body of the book. Then it gives information about the hatching time line. Readers can even take a quiz to find out what kind of woodpecker they might be. 

What I liked: 

I like the simple text. Readers will appreciate the humorous predicaments Pierce gets himself into. The story integrates information about where different animals might be found in a forest. The illustrations are full of interesting details. I think many readers will enjoy the aforementioned section at the back of the book. 

What I didn't like:

The cartoonish quality of the animals took away from the story for me. It especially jarred with the beautiful and realistic watercolour landscapes.