THE SMALLEST BIRD

How to make friends with a bird…or any other small fugitive thing.

Reflective readers will quickly understand that Belin isn’t suggesting that her strategy will reliably work with actual birds—but it just might fly with a new neighbor, potential new friend, or even idea. Start out by looking small and moving slowly, she writes. Choose a comfortable setting, bring snacks, sing and dance a little, and, when the time is right, reach out. “Be sure to leave your hand open,” she notes, “because…even the smallest bird is meant to fly.” In illustrations as tidy and bright as the narrative, a young, light-skinned birdwatcher sporting binoculars, a backpack, and a large tumble of brown hair carries a tiny, colorful bird up to a treehouse for a nap and some joyful play. After the bird wings off, the youngster settles down to wait patiently…because, the author concludes, a bird “always comes back when he finds a friend.” Perhaps to underscore the metaphorical nature of the encounter, the bird belongs to no recognizable species—unlike the gallery of feathered neighborhood familiars Hwang depicts on the back cover.

Simple, sunny, and wise.