Author(s): Eva Lindström

Picture | Gecko Press | Humour | Read our reviews!

A funny and whimsical picture book about an ordinary family day, told through a bird family, from 2022 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award recipient Eva Lindström.

"Wash your beaks, it's time for lunch--flies again today," says Dad. After lunch the young birds get sent off to play--they sing, hunt mosquitos, compare leg size, and poke grubs.

This is how birds spend a day. Eva Lindström reflects the familiar and the absurd in human behavior through this funny bird family. We all recognize the family dynamics of bickering over fried mosquitos and worm pie--only the youngest is allowed to pick out the worms. Toddlers will recognize key moments in a perfectly down to earth day--play, mealtimes, stretching boundaries, and sleep.

With dry observations of human family behavior that adults will enjoy, this is a picture book to make all the family laugh and to read aloud together. Expressive faces, hilarious hairstyles, Dad's great cooking, and a sister and brother's everyday conversation combine in a heartwarming and completely individual picture book from a unique artist with an international following.

Translated from the Swedish edition by Julia Marshall. Other books from Eva Lindström - My Dog Mouse, Everyone Walks Away

STELLA'S REVIEW:
A book about everything ordinary, but there are birds! A Bird Day is a complete delight. Close your eyes and imagine you are a bird child. What would your day be like? Where would you go for some afternoon fun? And, when dinner is dished up would you be rolling your eyes and saying, “Not, again!” Maybe if it’s flies! Lena and Bo are siblings. We meet them on the first pages playing in the ditch beside the road. They’re playing chicken. It’s very dangerous. Luckily they can fly away quickly. When it’s time to eat, their mother reminds them to wash their beaks — the flies are ready. Dad’s not too keen on this ordinary meal. “Flies, again,“ says Papa. “You cook then,” says Mama.” He’ll be cooking up a feast later as long as the afternoon gathering goes well. Pop back a page and you’ll see that Papa has been relaxing listening to bird music while Mama has been hard at work putting the food on the table. These subtle pecking orders and ordinary family relationships are nicely explored through the illustrations and these dovetail perfectly with the engaging text. So what do birds do for fun? Well, chicken, and then there’s fainting. Falling out of a tree is a great lark for a creature with excellent wings. We all like to be daredevils especially when we know we are safe. In the afternoon they hunt for mosquitos and worms. When they need a rest Lena and Bo sit down and pretend their legs are fatter, thinner, or not there at all. Like any good sibling, Lena scares her little brother; but only a little bit. Papa’s making dinner. Yum, mosquitos. Mama doesn’t like mosquitos, but there are plenty of worms. Another excellent addition to the work of Eva Lindstrom, author and illustrator of My Dog Mouse and Everyone Walks Away.

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