Chipmunk and blue jay eating peanuts

Back in 2013, I had the pleasure of reviewing Glen Apseloff’s Backyard Birds: Looking Through the Glass. Time, unlike a Kiwi, flies, and now Apseloff is back with another book: Backyard Birds and More: Looking Through the Glass. And I am pleased to say that he’s once again presented us with a pocket universe of engaging photos.

As the title implies, Apseloff has expanded his focus (it’s going to be hard to avoid puns on this one, sorry) as well as his book – this one clocks in at 221 lavishly illustrated pages to the previous iteration’s 126. The big stars are still the birds, but there are more mammals and butterflies, as well as other insects – and I do appreciate a person who can see the aesthetic value in a housefly.

Apseloff takes a wide-angled view (I told you) of his subject matter – chipmunks sitting cutely in decorative planters share this volume with a short chapter on bird deformities (not for the overly sensitive – especially not the cardinal with the fractured beak.) As before, the only rule is that the photograph must have been taken from Apseloff’s own suburban Ohio window, and the wonder is in the sheer diversity of creatures who managed to meet this criteria.

If you liked the last Looking Through the Glass outing, don’t miss this one. It’s available direct from the publisher for $12.95.

Written by Carrie
Carrie Laben, after years of writing and birding in New York, moved to Montana to pursue her two great passions more effectively. She recently graduated with an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Montana in Missoula. When she is not cranking out essays and speculative fiction stories, or wandering around on mountains failing to see the birds she is looking for, she is likely to be drinking one of the many fine local microbrews or attending a potluck with something from the local farmer’s market in hand. On Mondays from 3 to 3:30 Mountain Time you can find her answering questions about birds on live chat at DaysAtDunrovin.com.