The Day I Became a Bird

Product Description The day he starts school, a young boy falls in love for the very first time. Sylvia sits in front of him at school, and he's so in love with her, she's all he can see. But sadly, Sylvia doesn't see him. In fact, it seems the only thing Sylvia has eyes for is birds. “There are birds on her pants and dresses. She wears bird barrettes in her hair. She draws birds on her notebooks and folders. And when she speaks, her voice sounds like birdsong.” So in a bold attempt to get Sylvia's attention, the boy decides to go to school dressed up as a bird. He endures the stares and giggles of his classmates, and a great deal of discomfort, but the boy doesn't care. Because when it comes to love, sometimes you have no choice but to follow your heart and spread your wings. In this sweetly funny picture book, Ingrid Chabbert perfectly captures the emotional essence of a child's first love. The boy's voice as narrator is realistic and endearing as he engagingly and honestly shares the wonder of his experience. With imagination and gentle humor, Guridi uses spare lines in mostly black and white drawings to tenderly express the poignant heart of the story. This book offers a terrific exploration of young children's self-discovery and self-expression, as well as the early development of social skills. It makes a wonderful read-aloud to launch a classroom discussion about relationships and feelings. From School Library Journal PreS-Gr 2-This strange and wonderful picture book tells the story of a boy who transforms himself to catch the eye of the one he loves. On the day he first starts school, a young boy falls in love with the girl who sits right in front of him, but Sylvia is an avian lover and has eyes only for birds. Suddenly, the things the boy used to enjoy just don't seem important anymore. Desperate to attract her attention, he constructs a bird costume. In it, he feels handsome and warm, though it does make it hard to climb trees, and he smells like wet dog when it rains. His classmates giggle and stare, but then one day Sylvia sees him and it's worth it all. Delicate and slightly surreal pencil drawings follow the young protagonist through this sweet tale with cinematic precision. The poetic text has a dreamy cadence as it flows through the pages. The young narrator's affection for Sylvia is innocent and endearing, and readers will join him in rejoicing when she finally sees him. VERDICT A beautiful and touching story that captures the exhilaration of first love, recommended for fans of Oliver Jeffers and Jon Klassen.-Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library Review Artistically beautiful but conceptually challenging, the best audience for this picture book may be older readers, grades four and above, who are ready to think beyond themselves and contemplate their relationships with others.― Booklist This gentle tale of love mingled with touches of humour demonstrates how love can sometimes conquer all.― Resource Links "Immeasurably wonderful ..."― Maria Popova, Brain Pickings ... sure to please not only the four- to seven-year-olds at whom the book is aimed, but anyone who loves imaginative art and a well-written picture book.― Montreal Gazette About the Author Ingrid Chabbert is a children's author and graphic novel writer with dozens of books to her name. She lives in France. Guridi has illustrated numerous book covers and children's picture books. He lives in Spain.