Bird Child

Bird Child

By Andrea Belcham

A review of Bird Child by Nan Forler

Published on October 1, 2009

Bird Child
Nan Forler

Tundra Books
$21.99
cloth
32pp
978-0-88776-894-1

“Once there was a tiny girl with wobbly arms and legs, all skin and bones like a newly hatched bird,” begins this inspired story, Bird Child, by Nan Forler. Eliza is the bird child, but the story doesn’t lead where you’d expect: she’s already a confident girl thanks to her mother’s teachings. Now it’s Eliza’s turn to help another – her new classmate, Lainey, whose face and drawings turn greyer with each day of teasing. Like Eliza, Lainey stands out from the crowd: her clothes are ragged and her hair is coarse, yet Eliza can see that Lainey is a gifted artist. Forler’s tale is about individuality and the fight against oppression, subjects that even the youngest grade-schoolers can appreciate. And Thisdale’s mixed-media illustrations, which blend dark with light so effectively, will further engage them. (Ages 5-8) mRb

Andrea Belcham lives in Saint-Lazare, where many of her best neighbours are trees.

Comments

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

More Reviews

The North Star

The North Star

Julian Sher's historical tome shows the Canadian and Montreal connections to the U.S. Civil War, on the Confederate side.

By Jocelyn Parr

A House Without Spirits

A House Without Spirits

David Homel’s novel about a forgotten photographer is a deep dive into memory, trauma, and art.

By Michel Hardy-Vallée