March 26, 2017

THE BLUE SONGBIRD

In Vern Kousky's The Blue Songbird, a little blue songbird longs to sing like her sisters, but finds that she can never quite get the tune right. So when her mother encourages her to leave home and find a song that only she can sing, the little bird takes the opportunity to seek advice from birds she meets all around the world to help her find her special song.


The journey that this little bird makes in her book is profound and visually stunning. We see the scenery change from the woods to city to the marshes to the Antarctic, giving readers a tangible visual journey to follow and a strong sense of just how far this little bird travels to find herself. She travels through seasons and through different species of birds, and yet she never gives up hope. Readers see her struggling to move from place to place, but she never stops trying. 


The layered mixed media illustrations are colorful and carry readers through the story with sense of hope and encouragement. There are strong contrasts between the blue bird and her orange-yellow surroundings, helping us to find the little bird amidst the various scenes she encounters. 

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The Blue Songbird publishes this Tuesday, April 4, from Running Press!

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