THE DEAD BIRD
by Margaret Wise Brown illustrated by Remy Charlip
The bird was dead when the children found it. It was still warm and its eyes were closed. They wrapped the bird in grapevine leaves, dug a little grave and buried the bird. On top of his grave they placed ferns and little white violets and yellow flowers. And every day, until they forgot, they went and sang there. Remy Charlip's illustrations in mossy green and cerulean blue convey the tenderness of the little forest funeral — gently presenting the idea of mortality. The tone is reverent and solemn rather than morbid.