LITTLE HOME BIRD

Little Bird loves his cozy nest so much that, as winter approaches, he can’t bear to leave it.

Every day, Little Bird sits on his favorite branch, eats his favorite food (juicy red berries), and listens to his favorite music, provided by wind chimes tied to another, nearby branch. So, when the wind starts to blow and his big brother tells him it’s time to head south to the family’s winter home, Little Bird decides to take all his favorite things, including his nest, with him. As the flock flies higher and higher, Little Bird tries to keep up, but it’s hopeless. His favorite branch falls into the mouth of a grateful dog, the wind chimes land near a shepherd atop a snowy mountain, and a clap of thunder sends Little Bird’s gathered berries onto the quills of a porcupine. When Little Bird finally reaches his new home, he doesn’t have his favorite things. In a short time, though, he discovers lots of new favorite things. And soon it feels like home. Empson’s dreamy illustrations capture the beauty and majesty of nature with warmth and elegance; wide-eyed Little Bird is a green-and-yellow puffball. Children will readily identify with both his juvenile appearance and his desire to cling to the familiar. The text is properly simple and direct and is closed with a short postscript on the adventure of migration.

Simply lovely.