The Day I Became a Bird

June 1, 2016
The age-old theme of unrequited love is told in this monochromatic minimalist rendering of the story of an unnamed boy who creates a bird costume and wears it all day in order to attract the attention of a young girl, with whom he is hopelessly in love.The boy tells how he draws pictures of Sylvia, including "one with hearts and a smiling sun." Confusingly, these pictures are not shown, only sequences in the construction of a whole-body bird costume. The reason for this unfolds elliptically. Sylvia loves birds and "gently cares for them when they are injured." She is shown holding a bird amid a collage of engravings of different kinds of birds, not identified by species. Although she is described as having "birds on her pants and dresses" and wearing "bird barrettes in her hair," she is not illustrated with any of these attributes, just as a simply drawn figure watching a bird through binoculars. In spite of the challenges and mocking from classmates, the boy wears the costume built in the opening pages all day at school, drawing warmth and courage from the disguise. His strategy is implausibly rewarded with a romantic embrace from Sylvia. Guridi's line drawings appear on buff-colored backgrounds; both Sylvia and the narrator appear to be fair-haired and -skinned. Like the flimsy bird costume, this story flops to the ground due to lack of real substance. (Picture book. 3-6)

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November 1, 2016

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

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