Ayto's watercolour and ink illustrations, rendered in a cartoon-like style, effectively capture Little Bird's changing emotions, particularly though the depictions of his eyes and beak. Ayto also makes good use of the book's shape which is wider than tall. The horizontal format permits Ayto to, at times, divide his facing pages into a series of four movie-like frames which contribute to the feeling of motion. The double page spread filled by the body of the sleeping dog with its open maw reinforces just how diminutive Baby Bird really is.

From the opening empty sky endpapers to the closing endpapers containing a darting Baby Bird, Dunbar's brief text and Ayto's illustrations together yield a satisfying, warm read for young children.

Recommended.