Little Bird Takes a Bath

January 5, 2015
As far as Little Bird is concerned, a rainstorm is only good for one thing: creating a “perfect puddle” to use as a bathtub once it’s nice and sunny. But every time he settles into his puddle in a city park and begins his ablutions, something (like ball-bouncing, puddle-jumping children) comes along to scare him and, worse yet, make the puddle smaller. Russo’s (Sophie Sleeps Over) ostensibly simple premise, toylike renderings, and schoolroom palette seem to point to a pleasant story with low emotional stakes. But there’s actually something more going on that readers should find deeply resonant. Little Bird is a creature of strong opinions (“Little Bird didn’t like rain. He didn’t like rain at all”) who just wants to accomplish one important thing in an environment that offers little control and many obstacles. For Russo’s increasingly independent-minded target audience, that’s pretty much daily life. So when Little Bird finally discovers a right-sized “splashy, swirly” fountain where he can have his bath, it’s no wonder that his faith in the world is restored. When you’re small, little victories can feel very big. Ages 3–7.

December 15, 2014
In the decidedly urban setting that Little Bird calls his own, he wakes up with a song-he always starts his day with a song-and looks for a puddle for a bath after the unpleasantness of the nighttime rain. He finds the perfect puddle in a city park, but wait! A ball bounces in his puddle, but he eludes it. He goes back to his bath-and has a narrow escape again, when a little girl's flip-flops make him skitter away. (The bliss on her face as she splashes in the puddle is worth noting.) When a dog (with collar and leash, as is proper) finds the puddle also, Little Bird decides it is time to find another place for his bath. And he does, too, has a blissful splash and wiggle in it, then settles down to sleep with a song-he always ends his day with a song. The cheery gouache and colored-pencil illustrations effortlessly convey a city in summer, with a multiethnic population, small stores and large buildings, buses and taxis, parkland and kids. Without stretching a point too far, the interconnectedness of nature and city, the consequences of action and play, the sounds and sense of an urban environment make for a really nice story whose words and images repay repeated readings. Simple and understated-and all the more enjoyable for it. (Picture book. 4-7)

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December 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-Russo's new picture book is about staying positive on a rainy day. Little Bird expresses his distaste for the rain, briefly, then he sings bits of familiar water-inspired songs ("Rain, Rain Go Away," "Rub-a-Dub-Dub") and heads for the nearest puddle. Before he can get fully wet, though, he's scared away by children, a dog, and other birds. But it's while he's flying high in the sky that he spots something "shining, sparkling, and shimmering down below." Most readers may not have big stone fountains in their yard, like the one the protagonist finds, but children who live in homes with a birdbath will learn they, too, are helping birds. Established parks, historical buildings, and an active multicultural community are depicted with gouache and colored pencil. This story has repetition, prepositions, and playful onomatopoeia, all of which make this a must-read for storytime; regardless of the weather.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015
Preschool-G It's raining in the city. Huddled on a ledge above a busy street, Little Bird doesn't like rain, but he closes his eyes and goes to sleep before it ends. The next morning, he awakens, sings, and flies off to find the perfect puddle for a bath. He splashes happily until others invade his puddle: a bouncing ball, a girl's flip flop flapping sandals, and a bounding, barking dog. After finding a more secluded spot for a bath, Little Bird flies home. Created in gouache and colored pencil, Russo's simplified cityscapes and park scenes are as pleasing as her sympathetic portrayal of Little Bird. Short words and sentences relate the story in a highly accessible way. The three bath interruptions are handled with a storyteller's skill, using repetition effectively and including the sound that Little Bird hears before the reader turns the page to reveal who or what is coming. With many appealing large-scale images, this is a good read-aloud choice for groups of young children as well as individuals.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)