A Home for Bird

Stead (Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat) imagines what happens when Vernon, a sweetheart of a frog, takes an interest in a silent, unmoving blue bird with an oversize beak, button eyes, and striped peg legs. "Bird is shy," Vernon explains to Skunk and Porcupine, "but also a very good listener." Small panel illustrations of Vernon attempting to amuse Bird, who lies blank and staring wherever Vernon sets him down, draw immediate smiles. Determined to find Bird's home, Vernon takes Bird down the river in a teacup. Vernon's ideas about possible living places for Bird--a mailbox, a nest filled with eggs, a telephone wire--are misses, but Bird's home finally turns up in a place both unexpected and perfectly natural. Stead creates characters that make readers care; Vernon's compassion and faith have near-spiritual dimensions. And the scribbled artwork brims with small delights, like the attentive expressions of Skunk and Porcupine, draped with string--they've quietly appropriated Vernon's yo-yo. But it's the way Vernon consistently sees only the best in Bird that makes this story a keeper. Ages 3-8. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (June)

PreS-Gr 2--Vernon the toad is out collecting interesting odds and ends when he stumbles upon a displaced cuckoo clock bird that he thinks is real. Certain Bird is lost, Vernon invites his new friend to join him as he goes about his day. Vernon and his friends become increasingly perplexed by Bird's silence and decide that he must be very unhappy and missing his home. Sweet, loyal Vernon decides he will help Bird find his home, and the two embark on a journey that takes them by land, air, and sea amidst bird's continued silence and Vernon's increasing determination. Eventually, Vernon and Bird find a farmhouse and take shelter in the cuckoo clock on the wall. The next morning, Vernon is ecstatic to see that Bird is finally happy and has most found his perfect home as he bursts from the clock with a lively "Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!" Stead, a Caldecott-winning author/illustrator, has created a warm, witty, old-fashioned tale of friendship that underscores the value of determination and thoughtfulness and the importance of home. His colorful, whimsical crayon-and-gauche illustrations capture the story's innocence and Vernon's child-like qualities. Andrew Watts's soothing voice, conversational tone, steady pace, and impeccable enunciation make this an easy read-along for beginning readers or younger children learning to enjoy the simple pleasure of a well-read story. Page-turn signals are optional.--Amy Dreger, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Beachwood, OH