"Wilson magnificently weaves the history of the robin’s cultural influences with facts about the bird’s biology, migratory patterns, habits, and behavior. . . . Loaded with paintings, photographs, and literary references in classics like The Secret Garden. . . . This is an exceptional work for all bird enthusiasts."

Booklist

“The latest (103rd) installment in Reaktion’s admirable Animal series brings us every angle on a familiar songbird . . . This is not a bird that lives ‘alongside’ but among us, in our books and songs and TV ads as well as our woods and gardens.”

Times Literary Supplement

"Everyone's favorite garden bird is celebrated and explored in this wide-ranging, superbly illustrated volume. Taking in both natural and cultural histories, Robin addresses questions including why the bird's name has traveled around the world and why it has a reputation for melancholy."

BBC Wildlife Magazine

"An eclectic look at the iconic European bird. . . Wilson is a geographer whose work emphasizes animal studies, including environments where birds and humans interact. This eye for human/animal interaction appears amusingly in her book. . . to give the reader a sense of the robin in the human imagination, in the garden, and increasingly in urban spaces."

H-Environment

"Wilson's debut book, Robin, offers an account of this bird, describing its place in fairy tales, environmental campaigns, and scientific discoveries alongside some truly beautiful illustrations . . . Robin is a fascinating read and Wilson asks some interesting and wide-ranging questions: how did the robin's name travel the world? Why is the robin so melancholy? Who was Cock Robin? And how has the history of the color red shaped the robin's ambivalent associations and unusual origin stories?"

Yorkshire Life Magazine

"Wilson dives deep into the historical confluence of human culture and the European robin . . . The majority of the text is focused on the history of the European robin in a human context, including literature, religion, and pop culture . . . this book might be right up your street if you are an anglophile and appreciate Victorian history."

American Biology Teacher

"[Wilson] has written a new book on the robin and its remarkable presence across folklore, religion, culture, painting, literature, poetry, music, Christmas and even the nicknames of a clutch of football teams."

The Journal

“Wilson ranges delightfully over . . . robin lore that would not have occurred to me even to look for.”

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