Little Bird Takes a Bath, written and illustrated by Marisabina Russo. Just in time for spring, this surefire story time winner stars a sweet darling of a feathered creature who does not like the rain but loves to splash in puddles. Rendered in gouache and colored pencil, the charming and beautifully done illustrations have an almost three-dimensional effect as we see the little bird in an urban landscape watch with sadness as the rain falls. He closes his eyes and then dreams about a glorious sunny day, which indeed follows, causing the bird to sing "rain, rain, gone away" with joy (love the musical notes floating above his cute little head). The titular character then searches high and low for the Perfect Puddle, but when he discovers one, a bunch of obstacles disturb his splashy fun: a bouncing ball, a girl's flip flops, a pesky pooch. Children will love splashing like the bird, and making the various sounds and cheeps he makes. Little Bird also sings quite a bit and this adds even more opportunities for enthusiastic interaction.
P. Zonka Lays an Egg, written and illustrated by Julie Paschkis. Striking watercolors (done on 100% rag archival watercolor paper) add a delightfully retro feel to this colorful, zesty, and very funny story about a bunch of egg-laying hens concerned about their friend P. Zonka, who has yet to lay one. Paschkis does a great job setting up the situation, introducing Maud, who lays one egg every day, Dora who habitually lays an egg every other day, and Gloria (and I love this joke) who never lays an egg because he turns out to be a rooster. Swirling lines please the eye as the hens start clucking about what could possibly be wrong with the lovable P. Zonka. "She's a dreamer," claims Dora. This might be true because our feathered heroine does seem a head in the clouds, always checking out the nature around her instead of concentrating on the task at hand. It all leads to a wonderful, surprising ending that is beyond spectacular, one that will make young listeners go "wow" and cheer.
Yeti and the Bird, written and illustrated by Nadia Shireen. Originally released in Great Britain in 2013, this most welcome import tells of a gigantic Yeti who lives deep in the forest. The yeti is a huge mountain of fur, with two friendly little peepers peeking out and a tiny line of a mouth. Employing mixed media, Shireen gives us an evocative forest, with frightened creatures hiding in the reddish dark while the yeti plods on alone. Young readers will empathize with the lonely creature, wishing he would find a friend. Suddenly plopping, landing on his head is an adorable bird...with a suitcase. The yeti roars at the sqwalking little bird (I love this first interaction), and the fearless little bird finds the situation absolutely hilarious, giggling with giddiness (the "sqwalka sqwalka sqwalkas" push it over the edge). This pair forms a completely wonderful unlikely friendship that proves both enduring and witty. Soon all the forest animals join into fun. This sounds cloying perhaps, but in Shireen's able hands, it is far from saccharine. There's a playfulness here, and then a sense of melancholy, that gives it an edge.
You Nest Here with Me, written by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. This soothing, rhyming lullaby of a book serves as both a bedtime offering and an informative look at birds. Yolen and Stemple introduce a human mother tucking her young daughter, whom she calls "baby bird," into bed. In a meta touch, the mama reads the book
You Nest Here with Me to the child, lulling her to sleep with bird facts. The vocabulary-rich stanzas mostly have an A, A, A, B scheme with the book's title a reassuring refrain: "Pigeons nest on concrete ledges/Catbirds nest in greening hedges/ Tiny wrens, in shoreline sedges. You nest here with me." Caldecott honoree Sweet's drawings are magical, giving us cozy views of the various bird species, parents and children about ready to snooze. This is a first-rate addition to any bedtime or bird collection.
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