I love how many nonfiction graphic novels have been published lately (enough to create a juvenile graphic novel collection in my library!!). Birding is My Favorite Video Game is one of the most fun titles that I've read recently. The only thing that makes me vaguely concerned about putting it in the juvenile collection is a wine joke...but honestly, the kids won't get it and it's incredibly benign. If you're concerned, it is still a worthy addition to any teen or adult collection!

Birding Is My Favorite Video Game is a compilation of comics from Bird and moon, and it is all by the brilliant Rosemary Mosco. I’ve been following this comic for a while, and with good reason. They’re fun and colorful (don’t forget cute) and they have just a hint of facts or science included in them all. Through clever little quips and imagery Mosco has managed to make science approachable to a broader audience.

As you can probably tell from the title, most of the comics included in this collection are focused on animals (I had originally thought it’d be solely focused on birds, but that wasn’t the case). Most of the Bird and Moon comics have been specifically about animals, so this wasn’t terribly surprising to me.

Each chapter is broken up to focus on a different animal group, with the first chapter unsurprisingly starting off with birds. The variation and theme throughout is delightful, as is the artwork itself. Some images will be wittier, while others more full of facts. I loved the inconsistency with which this was handled – it removed any expectations one may form for the next page.

I’m a big fan of Mosco’s brighter and more comically inclined animals and fauna. She somehow found a balance being accurate representation and cuteness, which is why her comics always look so good (while still providing actual facts).

If you follow Bird and Moon I’d advise buying a copy of this book. Support the artists you love! It’d also make a cute gift for almost any age range (but especially the budding scientist or animal lover!).

Remember being a kid in school and thinking, "Ugh, why does learning stuff have to be so boring?" This collection of nature and science comics is exactly what we were wishing for back then. Rosemary Mosco's cartoons take a lighthearted approach at portraying nature and science facts, but also include some pointed commentary about global warming and our effect on the ecosystem. I loved this for me (disclaimer: science nerd) but especially love the idea of giving this to kids I know who are curious about the world and want to learn more about it. This book reminds us just how fun that can be.

Absolutely wonderful. I love the drawings and descriptions.

This was so glorious! Absolutely charming and based on science so it was informative as well as hilarious and adorable. I like that the focus was on birds but other animals also made appearances. I'm a big bird fan/aspiring birder so this was perfect for me.

The art was also really great. I liked the style, linework, and colors. The animals were drawn very cute but were also done realistically so you could tell what they were. I am going to give the author a follow because I hope there is more to come from this!

A quirky collection of one-shot cartoons featuring all manner of critters, from birds (duh!), to salamanders, squirrels, and even plants. Most of the cartoons present interesting facts in a most humorous manner. You’ll learn about the foraging patterns of tree climbing birds like the woodpecker, birdie evolution, why hammerheads have hammer shaped heads, and more.

I loved the 'Nature Names for Your Baby’! Haha, Hellbender and Centaury. Yep, those are our next cubs’ names. I also really liked the several different cartoons on climate change, and human pollution. They make the concepts understandable on many levels, without truly making light of a serious situation. This is the perfect gift for the nature-lovers with a sense of humour in your life!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A funny, yet informative, look at science and the natural world. This graphic novel is based on the webcomic Bird and Moon. A fun comic that depicts birding, animal life, nature, and biologists/naturalists. Cute illustrations.

I have been a long-time fan of Rosemary Mosco's comics, and seeing them condensed into a book made my day! They are a clever blend of naturalism and biology mixed with humor and really awesome art, a definite must read for any nature lovers who have a sense of humor.

If you're a science nerd and on Twitter or Tumblr, you're likely already familiar with Rosemary Mosco's work, also known under the the title Bird and Moon.

Rosemary is a science communicator who tells her stories through the form of often adorable, but always educational, short comics. This book showcases a collection of some of her best work. I was already familiar with most of these as I've been following Bird and Moon for a while now, but for anyone who's into wildlife and nature, with a flavor of environmentalism, you will absolutely enjoy these. I think one of the best descriptions came from The Birdist, who said that the collection "does for biology what xkcd does for math and Hark! A Vagrant does for history: pull out the humorous voice from a field not known for expressing itself with much gusto."

I think the best word to describe Rosemary's work would be quirky. It's hard to encapsulate her work in any other way, so here are some of my faves to give you a taste. [images follow]

This book will be released on April 17 and I highly recommend you get yourself a copy!

I really enjoyed this book. The art is lovely. I consider this to be a good introduction to a topic I am not very familiar with and gave me a better understanding and appreciation of nature in a format that I could properly enjoy. It is informative and funny with a quick wit, but is not so informative that you feel bored or that you are being given a lecture. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the Science Comics series, but is aimed at an older audience, or for fans of Sarah Andersen.

My children and I had a riot with this one! It's got a lot about environmentalism and even has some great quotes and information. But it is also incredibly funny.

I would say I was most impressed with the index that listed every single animal used in the book. It's not just about birds.

And my favorite line? "Take action for animals. Because they are really, really bad at it."

Thank you NetGalley and Rosemary Mosco!!!

I initially passed up this little gem because the cover is not very appealing to me. But, based on the reviews, I picked it up, and am glad I did. What a quirky, educational and funny comic. You can absolutely feel the author's love for the natural world. This is such a delight.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review!

Yay, one of the books I am reading for review is good again! I was already worried after 2 misses that this would also not turn out to be fun, but thankfully this was just as a fun as I hoped!

Sure, it had some parts that were a bit boring, or felt a bit too much like a teacher telling the kids to DO something (sorry, my mind is not really up to thinking what the right English word would be). But I still read those parts as they had fun illustrations. :P

The other parts were just terrific. The book is separated in 5 parts, starting with Feathers (birds), Scales, Fins & Others (you can guess), Seasons (fun!), So You Want to be a Biologist (of course, doesn't everyone with such pretty nature outside?), Tips & Tricks (some more information and tips). I quite liked that it was done this way, though I am a bit sad the book ends short as the index takes quite a few pages.

I laughed so hard at several of the comics/parts. Like the dating profiles (that one bird that just kept on walking on the beach), the turkey vulture, the turtle one (have to show it to my boyfriend, he loves turtles and I am sure he will laugh when reading it), and many others. It was a feast to read this one.

The illustrations were brilliant, I just adore the style. How to say it, I just love how life-like the critters are but also can look comically and hilarious. Plus the use of colours is just fab!

So all in all, a fun book with lots of facts about animals, lots of humour, and great art. Definitely recommended!

This hits a magical sweet spot of educational, funny, and downright adorable.

A fun graphic novel. Lots to love in this one. Thanks!

Wow, the file was corrupted. :/ I couldn't even read it. I'm super bummed. This is not the first time I've had a Netgalley ARC come to me all scrambled.

Rosemary Mosco’s comics are adorable and they have a cute & deadpan sort of humor that is difficult to explain, but oh so fun to read. Mosco has an obvious adoration for the natural world which reflects in her comics. Readers will most definitely learn something new and unusual about the world, to my horror I learned that chipmunks eat mice. I will recommend this book to customers looking for fun gift ideas, but also to readers who appreciate fun information and adorable illustrations.

Very cute, funny and informative. I learned a few new things and chuckled out loud more than once.