Reviews

Anyone Else Awake? A KidLit Bird Book Review

February 10, 2026 by Susan Wroble No Comments
A robin in a pine tree, singing, with the book title "ANYONE ELSE AWAKE" above the robin.

As spring approaches and the dawn swells with birdsong, you can introduce the youngest readers to the joys of listening to birds with the new picture book Anyone Else Awake? A Dawn Chorus.

This nonfiction book, featuring common North American birds, is a gentle and lyrical introduction to the dawn chorus. Author Carmela LaVigna Coyle has brilliantly matched the rhythm and beat of each bird’s song to the reasons birds sing at dawn. As the book begins, a young girl wakes in the morning darkness and looks outside. From a treetop in her yard, a robin warbles: “Is… Is… Is anyone else awake?”

Illustration of a robin in the picture book ANYONE ELSE AWAKE, written by Carmela LaVigna Coyle and illustrated by Bonnie Kelso.

A robin begins the dawn chorus by asking if anyone else is awake.

Robins, with their large eyes and habit of roosting higher in trees, are one of the first birds to sing in the mornings, usually in the astronomical dawn. Carmela introduces the birds in the order in which they tend to join the chorus. When chickadee joins the chorus, the answer to robin’s question is “I am… I am.” In the book’s backmatter, readers learn of the three phases of dawn, marked by the position of the sun at 18° (astronomical dawn), 12° (nautical dawn) and 6° (civil dawn) below the horizon.

A page titled "the three phases of dawn" with three illustrations of the same landscape: one in the near blackness of astronomical dawn, one with a rosy sunrise in the nautical dawn, and one where animals can just be distinguished in the civil dawn.

“The Three Phases of Dawn” section of backmatter in ANYONE ELSE AWAKE.

The chorus builds as first towhee and crow, dove and flicker, finch and geese, then pigeon and nuthatch all join in the morning song. The screech of a red-tailed hawk scatters the birds, and the book has a wordless spread of worry, as a single feather drifts down. Robin worriedly checks in: “Is everyone else all safe-safe-safe?” By the book’s end, the robin looks on from the fence as the girl asks the question: “Is anyone else awake? — and her family joins her, now awake.

Chickadee, towhee, crow and flicker joining robin in the dawn chorus in the picture book ANYONE ELSE AWAKE?

Carmela LaVigna Coyle has won numerous awards, and is best known for her “Do Princesses…” series of board and picture books that began with Do Princesses wear Hiking Books? Like Anyone Else Awake, Carmela’s other books focus on a love of the outdoors. She notes that even as a young child, she was fascinated by early morning birdsong. Later, she would often head out on a pre-dawn run, pausing to listen to the birds.

Like Carmela, illustrator Bonnie Kelso brings her passion for animals and nature conservation to her work. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Bonnie was an exhibit designer for the Smithsonian before turning to book illustration. You can extend the reading of this book on Bonnie’s “Doodle Chats” YouTube channel, where kids (and adults) can follow Bonnie’s steps to learn todraw a robin like the one on the cover of Anyone Else Awake?

Illustrator Bonnie Kelso demonstrating how to draw a robin like the one in ANYONE ELSE AWAKE?

In the “Bird Talk” section of backmatter, the voice is from the birds themselves: “We loves visiting yards, playgrounds and parks.” This section touches on the need for fresh food and water, and the importance of turning off outdoor lights during migration.

The “More Chatter About Birds” section of backmatter adds specific detail about birdsong. Some of the reasons that ornithologists believe that birds sing in the morning include staking a claim to territory, attracting mates, and declaring how fit and healthy they are! Carmela advises readers to listen for birdsong at the end of the day as well, when the birds are settling into their nests, roosts and tree cavities.

While the age for this book is stated as from 4-8 years, it is such a delightful read-aloud that it is a good fit for even younger listeners. This would make a lovely addition to both preschool read-alouds and early elementary library programs. It would be a fabulous start of a collection of books to develop a lifelong love of birds.

The illustration on the front and back pages of ANYONE ELSE AWAKE? with the birds featured in the book.

Anyone Else Awake? A Dawn Chorus, written by Carmela LaVigna Coyle, illustrated by Bonnie Kelso, is published by Muddy Boots, 2026.

ISBN: 978-1-4930-9057-0

32 pages, age 4-8

 

Written by Susan Wroble
Susan Wroble has always paid attention to the birds around her, perhaps in part because Burd is her middle name! She is always happiest when outside gardening and listening to birdsong. Coming from a family with a strong commitment to service, Susan started volunteering after college with two years in the Peace Corps in the Independent State of Western Samoa, where she taught high school math and science. Currently, she volunteers as leader of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society for Children’s Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and at the Colorado Children’s Hospital. She also leads a long-term Denver-area support group for parents of Twice-Exceptional Children. Susan’s degrees are in electrical engineering and foreign affairs, but her great love is children’s books. She writes nonfiction, and tends to focus on stories that share a message of hope in this era of climate change. She has written four children’s books for the school library market. Her book DAWN CHORUS: PROTECTING BIRDSONG AROUND THE WORLD is scheduled for publication with Holiday House in 2026.