  | Little Bird takes a bath Author: Russo, Marisabina | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
The only thing Little Bird likes about rain is the puddles it leaves behind, but after flying through Manhattan to find the perfect puddle, his bath is interrupted again and again.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/15/14)
School Library Journal (12/01/14)
Booklist (02/01/15)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 12/01/2014 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 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 02/01/2015 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. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.
