THE BIRDMAN

Noor Nobi makes dresses for children on his sewing machine in Calcutta to support his own three children. When they are taken from him in a terrible accident, he is in despair. But he goes to the market and purchases, with the smallest of sums, a tiny, sickly bird, and releases it back to the world. He is so moved by this act that he goes to work at his sewing machine with renewed strength, and every Monday releases the birds he has purchased and nursed back to health. Basing this on a true story, Charles ends her tale with a long afterword about the real birdman and his new family. It’s a bit disconcerting that there is no explanation of how Noor lost his children, and the text is rather stilted. However, the illustrations, done in gouache in brilliant jewel-like hues, have elements of magical realism in their pattern and geometry and combine with the theme of the story to lift the reader’s spirit. (Picture book. 6-9)