FICTION

Lonely Bird

Candlewick. Oct. 2023. 40p. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781536226188.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3–A tiny paper bird lives behind the green bookshelf in a young girl’s room and creates art out of found objects such as thread, tape, and rubber bands. One day she makes a new friend, a crinkled piece of spiral-bound paper that she crafts into a six-legged, long-tongued animal, but when her friend is sucked up by a monster (the vacuum), Lonely Bird sets off on a daring adventure to rescue him. Spare oil paintings that are luminous and detailed bring the simple household objects of Lonely Bird’s world to life and the white 2D bird appears stark and small in contrast. Children will enjoy looking at the home from the small bird’s perspective. The narrative, tight with few words, puts the emphasis on the art. The only human visible is the young girl (“like her, the smallest human likes to make things”) who scoops up the rescued paper friend at the end and includes it in her own artwork. Lonely Bird, in turn, turns the adventure into an illustrated book that he reads to the wall outlet.
VERDICT A distinctive, tender tale about friendship and the endless possibilities of art and creativity, this is recommended for picture book collections, but would also complement makerspaces.

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?