The Day I Became a Bird

The Day I Became a Bird by Chabbert, Ingrid. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781771386210.

The day he starts school, a young boy falls in love for the very first time. Sylvia sits in front of him at school, and hes so in love with her, shes all he can see. But sadly, Sylvia doesnt see him. In fact, it seems the only thing Sylvia has eyes for is birds. “There are birds on her pants and dresses. She wears bird barrettes in her hair. She draws birds on her notebooks and folders. And when she speaks, her voice sounds like birdsong.” So in a bold attempt to get Sylvias attention, the boy decides to go to school dressed up as a bird. He endures the stares and giggles of his classmates, and a great deal of discomfort, but the boy doesnt care. Because when it comes to love, sometimes you have no choice but to follow your heart and spread your wings. In this sweetly funny picture book, Ingrid Chabbert perfectly captures the emotional essence of a childs first love. The boys voice as narrator is realistic and endearing as he engagingly and honestly shares the wonder of his experience. With imagination and gentle humor, Guridi uses spare lines in mostly black and white drawings to tenderly express the poignant heart of the story. This book offers a terrific exploration of young childrens self-discovery and self-expression, as well as the early development of social skills. It makes a wonderful read-aloud to launch a classroom discussion about relationships and feelings.