What do you think?
Rate this book
How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird
A GIFT FOR EVERYONE
A child wakes up, puts up an easel, picks up a brush and paints--paints a perch, a tree, the warmth of the sun and the sound of the summer breeze, and eventually a bird comes and sings. This is both the most personal and the most universal of books from Caldecott Medal winner Mordicai Gerstin: a fable about art, wonder, and creativity that has a meaning and a message for every reader. Universal appeal and illustration rich in warmth, color and feeling make this jewel of a picture book a lovely choice for the gift-giving season.
A child wakes up, puts up an easel, picks up a brush and paints--paints a perch, a tree, the warmth of the sun and the sound of the summer breeze, and eventually a bird comes and sings. This is both the most personal and the most universal of books from Caldecott Medal winner Mordicai Gerstin: a fable about art, wonder, and creativity that has a meaning and a message for every reader. Universal appeal and illustration rich in warmth, color and feeling make this jewel of a picture book a lovely choice for the gift-giving season.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published December 10, 2007
1 person is currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Jacques Prévert
307 books360 followersJacques Prévert est un poète et scénariste français, né le 4 février 1900 à Neuilly-sur-Seine, et mort le 11 avril 1977 à Omonville-la-Petite (Manche). Auteur d'un premier succès, le recueil de poèmes, Paroles, il devint un poète populaire grâce à son langage familier et à ses jeux sur les mots. Ses poèmes sont depuis lors célèbres dans le monde francophone et massivement appris dans les écoles françaises. Il a également écrit des scénarios pour le cinéma où il est un des artisans du réalisme poétique.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 2, 2017
I thought this was a good book for kids struggling with creativity. It is unusually subtle for a picture book (well, of course it wasn't written for kids originally) and encourages without making the process unrealistically easy.
I did have one major issue with the book, though: some lines of the poem have been changed from what Prevert wrote. Furthermore, there is no indication of this in the book, so unless you already know the poem (unlikely for a small child today) you would never realize. And the change is a fairly substantial one in terms of meaning, if not number of words.
Here is the poem:
First paint a cage
with an open door
then paint
something pretty
something simple
something beautiful
something useful
for the bird
then place the canvas against a tree
in a garden
in a wood
or in a forest
hide behind the tree
without speaking
without moving...
Sometimes the bird comes quickly
but he can just as well spend long years
before deciding
Don't get discouraged
wait
wait years if necessary
the swiftness or slowness of the coming
of the bird having no rapport
with the success of the picture
When the bird comes
if he comes
observe the most profound silence
wait till the bird enters the cage
and when he has entered
gently close the door with a brush
then
paint out all the bars one by one
taking care not to touch any of the feathers of the bird
Then paint the portrait of the tree
choosing the most beautiful of its branches
for the bird
paint also the green foliage and the wind's freshness
the dust of the sun
and the noise of insects in the summer heat
and then wait for the bird to decide to sing
If the bird doesn't sing
it's a bad sign
a sign that the painting is bad
but if he sings it's a good sign
a sign that you can sign
so then so very gently you pull out
one of the feathers of the bird
and you write your name in a corner of the picture.
(translated by Lawrence Ferlinghetti)
Oiriginal French text:
Gerstein changes those "bad" lines to If it doesn't sing, don't be sad. You did your best. That is an entirely different attitude from what Prevert said. This poem was written in 1949; I don't think "just do your best" was a very prevalent attitude back then. I get the desire to not let children feel badly, but it's doing them a disservice: either they really know the things they created isn't that good, in which case you aren't making them feel better, or they believe you and don't learn to have the critical judgement needed to become a better artist or writer.
Also, I am in principle against changing other people's words, especially when the change isn't acknowledged. I am taking away 1 star from the rating for this sin.
May 28, 2010
I’m feeling a bit like Mary Poppins (the Julie Andrews movie version) because this book felt “practically perfect in every way.” When I worried a tad about a caged bird, my concerns were almost immediately alleviated.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t like birds, don’t appreciate art or even creativity; this book is still a winner. If you like art and appreciate the creative process, if you like nature and birds, if you like beautifully illustrated picture books, reading this or having it read to you will be an enjoyable experience.
I love what it says about the creative process, about patience, about being okay with the results of one’s efforts.
I was emotionally touched. I was amused too. I thought that the illustrations were gorgeous. I really appreciated the poem/story. This book is brilliant (I think) and utterly charming. Perfect for every age group.
I’m in love with this book.
It deserves to be a classic, and I hope that many discover it in years to come.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t like birds, don’t appreciate art or even creativity; this book is still a winner. If you like art and appreciate the creative process, if you like nature and birds, if you like beautifully illustrated picture books, reading this or having it read to you will be an enjoyable experience.
I love what it says about the creative process, about patience, about being okay with the results of one’s efforts.
I was emotionally touched. I was amused too. I thought that the illustrations were gorgeous. I really appreciated the poem/story. This book is brilliant (I think) and utterly charming. Perfect for every age group.
I’m in love with this book.
It deserves to be a classic, and I hope that many discover it in years to come.
February 12, 2020
Taking Jacques Prévert's poem Pour faire le portrait d'un oiseau as its text, this picture-book from Caldecot Medal-winning author/artist Mordicai Gerstein (he won the award for 2003's
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
) follows a young boy who, immediately upon waking, begins to paint a portrait of the bird upon his window-sill. An imaginative exploration of the artistic process, with advice about how to proceed, How To Paint the Portrait of a Bird pairs Prévert's simple text (as translated by Gerstein) with lovely illustrations that fairly jump off the page.
Truth be told, I was a little less than wowed by the text - whether this was owing to issues of translation, or to a lack of appreciation for Prévert's work itself, is unclear to me - although I can see how it might have great appeal for others. What really stood out for me here were Gerstein's illustrations, which I found simply delightful! I loved the use of color, the boy's expressive face, and the sense of vitality and motion to be found throughout. The scene in which music "break forth" - and it really does break forth! - is particularly memorable. All in all, a charming little picture-book, even if not quite the triumph, for me anyway, that I was expecting.
Truth be told, I was a little less than wowed by the text - whether this was owing to issues of translation, or to a lack of appreciation for Prévert's work itself, is unclear to me - although I can see how it might have great appeal for others. What really stood out for me here were Gerstein's illustrations, which I found simply delightful! I loved the use of color, the boy's expressive face, and the sense of vitality and motion to be found throughout. The scene in which music "break forth" - and it really does break forth! - is particularly memorable. All in all, a charming little picture-book, even if not quite the triumph, for me anyway, that I was expecting.
February 25, 2012
The illustrations were beautiful - the bird was busy and inquisitive and followed the painter (a young boy) around, inspecting carefully everything he did. In order to "capture" the bird on paper, the boy had to first draw/paint a cage, then place it near a tree and wait (and wait and wait) for the bird to come and notice it. When the bird sings and slips inside the cage it becomes one with the drawing. Wish that it didn't come off as so literal - the bird trapped within the drawing. I don't think a drawing is worth the freedom of the bird just to remember it. If it's suggesting, instead, that the bird's essence is captured through patience and observation, however, that's something else. MUCH preferred. Attractive cover and artwork abound throughout this picture book.
June 25, 2018
I did find this a challenging read when I first went through it and wondered whether children might feel the same way too. Then I relaxed, enjoyed it and considered how poetry can be for everyone and anyone to take from it what rings clearly for them.
Adding his own interpretation to Prevert's free-verse poem on this metaphor for the patience required to master the creative process, Gerstein keeps the images simple yet wholly entertaining. To paint a bird properly, you must capture it. Once captured, you should remove all restraints from the foci and worry not if it flies away. What matters is the endurance and dedication needed to create and then such acts of original, masterful creation are constant.
Adding his own interpretation to Prevert's free-verse poem on this metaphor for the patience required to master the creative process, Gerstein keeps the images simple yet wholly entertaining. To paint a bird properly, you must capture it. Once captured, you should remove all restraints from the foci and worry not if it flies away. What matters is the endurance and dedication needed to create and then such acts of original, masterful creation are constant.
June 2, 2010
I appear to be the sole dissenting voice on GoodReads with regard to How To Paint The Portrait Of A Bird. This book failed to move me. I didn't love the modern, scrawly illustrations by Gerstein. I didn't even like them- except for the bird. The bird bordered on the transcendent, especially in a face-on page where its wings described a pure and glorious arc. But the bird appeared to be in the wrong milieu to my eye.
I did not find that it echoed the creative process, at least not the creative process as this artist knows it. Clearly, my mileage varies from the norm here. It simply failed to work for me.
I did not find that it echoed the creative process, at least not the creative process as this artist knows it. Clearly, my mileage varies from the norm here. It simply failed to work for me.
July 3, 2023
hoolimata, et mu toal on tugevad plastaknad ja sein on meetrise läbimõõduga, ärkan ja lähen magama tundega, et ma soikun kuskil räästa all ühes nende röökivate merekajakatega, kes mulle mõlema aknast paistva maja soklitiibadelt tõtt vahivad. nad on õudsed ja hirmsad. kardan nende tõttu maja taha oma rattale järele minna.
préverti sõjast hämarad linnuluuletused sobisid kui rusikas pihku. maja taga kütet koguv sõda saab mulle olema ehk mitte niivõrd hämar kui ebamugav. masendust ja surmahirmu tunnevad pigem need katusel skvottijad. ja mul nii poxui. nad on värdjad. nüüdsest alates on nad kirjaoskamatud preveerid, kes ei sure kopsuvähki. vaid paljunevad hästi kiiresti. hästi hästi kiiresti. et nad ei sureks kopsuvähki. ma vihkan neid.
préverti sõjast hämarad linnuluuletused sobisid kui rusikas pihku. maja taga kütet koguv sõda saab mulle olema ehk mitte niivõrd hämar kui ebamugav. masendust ja surmahirmu tunnevad pigem need katusel skvottijad. ja mul nii poxui. nad on värdjad. nüüdsest alates on nad kirjaoskamatud preveerid, kes ei sure kopsuvähki. vaid paljunevad hästi kiiresti. hästi hästi kiiresti. et nad ei sureks kopsuvähki. ma vihkan neid.
June 22, 2023
L'he trobat molt bonic i poètic
January 20, 2024
I first read the poem that shares the title of this children's book in Alice Oswald's The Thunder Mutters and was so 'enchanted' that I wanted to read more. Oswald's collection is dedicated to the rake - an interface between a human and nature. Prevert's poem is about a wonderful young artist who is listening to the sage advice of a narrator, teaching him to be patient and think about what the bird wants, respond to what the bird does, be prepared for what the bird may do given what we know about bird behavior in general. What does it take for us to see and hear and know a bird well enough to paint a portrait?
Prevert - a popular poet, deemed a surrealist during his time - twines different dimensions together throughout the poem - human and natural, the poem and the reader, the narrator telling the boy and you the reader 'how-to', capturing only to release, the canvas of the painting and the canvas of the book. It is one of those wonderful adventures when the boundaries between are porous, disappearing, tangible but wistfully erased.
Mordecai Gerstein's illustrations are enchanting as well. Except for the first startled encounter, the boy is looking at the bird as an artist looks at his subject, the boy is focused on his painting, a serious and patient young man. Meanwhile, the bird looks at the boy as someone engaged in interesting but eccentric behavior. Will the bird enter the canvas, will the bird sing from the cage, can the bird fly off for the moon and the stars?
The poem is about painting a 'portrait' of a bird, what birder's call the 'field guide' view - perched, still, and is the bird alive enough to sing?
Prevert - a popular poet, deemed a surrealist during his time - twines different dimensions together throughout the poem - human and natural, the poem and the reader, the narrator telling the boy and you the reader 'how-to', capturing only to release, the canvas of the painting and the canvas of the book. It is one of those wonderful adventures when the boundaries between are porous, disappearing, tangible but wistfully erased.
Mordecai Gerstein's illustrations are enchanting as well. Except for the first startled encounter, the boy is looking at the bird as an artist looks at his subject, the boy is focused on his painting, a serious and patient young man. Meanwhile, the bird looks at the boy as someone engaged in interesting but eccentric behavior. Will the bird enter the canvas, will the bird sing from the cage, can the bird fly off for the moon and the stars?
The poem is about painting a 'portrait' of a bird, what birder's call the 'field guide' view - perched, still, and is the bird alive enough to sing?
August 5, 2010
The text is based on a poem by Jacques Prevert. Mordicai Gerstein translator and illustrator. The language is lyrical, “Paint the smell of the sunshine and the flowers and the songs of the bees and the butterflies.”
The warm, vibrant colors delight the eye as does the royal blue of the bird who frequents each page. The lively red on the bird’s chest helps to spot him on each page. When the bird bursts into song, the double page spread is alive with color and music and joy.
Don’t miss the first few pages before the title page. A sweet set up of what is to come, with the sleeping child and the bird perched on the window sill singing and waking the child up.
For any who enjoy a sweet story with creative artwork.
A creative project would be to encourage young artists to “paint the summer breeze, …the smell of sunshine and the flowers, and the songs of the bees and the butterflies.”
My only hesitation comes from hearing a remark from a children’s librarian that some picture books are for parents and this is one of them. I disagree, at least on this one, but the comment did cause me to read the book again.
The warm, vibrant colors delight the eye as does the royal blue of the bird who frequents each page. The lively red on the bird’s chest helps to spot him on each page. When the bird bursts into song, the double page spread is alive with color and music and joy.
Don’t miss the first few pages before the title page. A sweet set up of what is to come, with the sleeping child and the bird perched on the window sill singing and waking the child up.
For any who enjoy a sweet story with creative artwork.
A creative project would be to encourage young artists to “paint the summer breeze, …the smell of sunshine and the flowers, and the songs of the bees and the butterflies.”
My only hesitation comes from hearing a remark from a children’s librarian that some picture books are for parents and this is one of them. I disagree, at least on this one, but the comment did cause me to read the book again.
April 30, 2017
This was...different. I had never read the poem by Jacques Prevert before. What an interesting way to paint a bird! I wonder if this poem was written originally for adults or for children? I know nothing about the poet. I loved Mordicai Gerstein's illustrations, which perfectly expressed the text. Pleasant and unusual--recommended.
July 5, 2016
One of my favourite poems.
November 27, 2017
Caldecott winner
Ages: 1st grade-5th grade (children of all ages)
Summary: one day a child wakes up to the singing of a bird and takes it upon himself to draw a bird. The poem gives explicit directions on how to draw this little animal. The little boy has to be patient until the little bird comes and he starts to paint.
Review: The author supports the poem with beautiful and vibrant illustrations. Students can make connections between the story and the illustrations while also observing the words of the poem. A beautiful translation that has readers learn new vocabulary, imagery, and allegory.
Uses: poem study, imagery, vocabulary, allegory
Ages: 1st grade-5th grade (children of all ages)
Summary: one day a child wakes up to the singing of a bird and takes it upon himself to draw a bird. The poem gives explicit directions on how to draw this little animal. The little boy has to be patient until the little bird comes and he starts to paint.
Review: The author supports the poem with beautiful and vibrant illustrations. Students can make connections between the story and the illustrations while also observing the words of the poem. A beautiful translation that has readers learn new vocabulary, imagery, and allegory.
Uses: poem study, imagery, vocabulary, allegory
July 28, 2017
I loved the message of Prévert's poem, about the power of art and the imagination, but even more, I loved the vibrant, colorful, burgeoning illustrations that seemed to burst right off of the page. The breadth and depth of color, particularly the shades of green and brown and blue in the outdoor scenes, really spoke to me. And it ends so powerfully, with one simple but beautiful line (I won't give it away, though). Read it and enjoy!
February 26, 2020
A cartoon approach to painting from life.
Age: elementary+
Plot: Mordicai is trying to paint the portrait of a bird, but it takes a lot of patience.
Themes: art-making, art block, painting, birds
Length: Medium
Wordiness: Medium, quite abstract
Illustrations: quite nice, but of course I like the bird the best
Age: elementary+
Plot: Mordicai is trying to paint the portrait of a bird, but it takes a lot of patience.
Themes: art-making, art block, painting, birds
Length: Medium
Wordiness: Medium, quite abstract
Illustrations: quite nice, but of course I like the bird the best
April 8, 2023
I liked this book because of its simplicity and beautiful illustrations. It was very creative. When I first picked up the book I thought it was a how-to for painting birds. How wrong I was. It was about a boy who wanted to paint a bird. But the way it’s written and illustrated it’s about patience and acceptance.
December 14, 2017
Until I read the copyright information, I had no idea that this was a French book from the 1940s, so neat! Follow a young artist and read about his imaginative way of capturing the perfect image of a bird.
July 5, 2018
This was odd but really interesting
July 27, 2021
The text is an adapted poem. The illustrations make this fly, however. A tribute to the creative process, patience, hard work, and the ability to pick up and do it all again another day.
March 2, 2017
Bird, art, color, music, silliness! All the best things right here in this book.
October 18, 2019
Ma ei ole eriline luulelemb. Aeg-ajalt küll võtan ühe või teise kogumiku kätte, aga minu jaoks on luule nautimise eelduseks ikkagi arusaadavus: ma pean suutma autori mõtet või tunnet jälgida, mõista või vähemalt oletadagi, mida on tahetud öelda. Kaunid kujundid ja ilusad ütlemised võivad olla väärtuseks omaette, aga kui tekst on täiesti sürreaalne ja läbinisti krüptiline, sümbolid üle mõistuse käivad, siis mina loobun.
Teisalt on muidugi asju, mida ilmselt ainult luulekeel mingilgi määral väljendada võimaldab.
„Kuidas portreteerida lindu“ vastas igati minu nõudmistele ja oli kenasti loetav. Kogumikus leidus nii üldinimlikke kui isiklikumas toonis luuletusi. Autori ellusuhtumine oli üdini humaanne ja õiglust taotlev, kohati isegi selgelt nn töölisklassi toetav, nii et pole ehk üldse ime, et vihik kuuekümnendatel ilmus.
Eks prantsuse keele rääkijad oska paremini otsustada, kui hea Kaalepi tõlge on, aga midagi ei häirinud küll, vastupidi, tekstid olid sujuvad ja voolavad ning lugedes oli tõesti väga kerge ette kujutada, et Prévert on muuhulgas ka palju šanssoone kirjutanud.
Teisalt on muidugi asju, mida ilmselt ainult luulekeel mingilgi määral väljendada võimaldab.
„Kuidas portreteerida lindu“ vastas igati minu nõudmistele ja oli kenasti loetav. Kogumikus leidus nii üldinimlikke kui isiklikumas toonis luuletusi. Autori ellusuhtumine oli üdini humaanne ja õiglust taotlev, kohati isegi selgelt nn töölisklassi toetav, nii et pole ehk üldse ime, et vihik kuuekümnendatel ilmus.
Eks prantsuse keele rääkijad oska paremini otsustada, kui hea Kaalepi tõlge on, aga midagi ei häirinud küll, vastupidi, tekstid olid sujuvad ja voolavad ning lugedes oli tõesti väga kerge ette kujutada, et Prévert on muuhulgas ka palju šanssoone kirjutanud.
Read
October 20, 2013Book Title: How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird by Jacques Prevert
Description: A child wakes up and paints a portrait. He uses transitional words and guides the readers through each step (how-to book).
Teach: W.1.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (explore a number of “how-to” books and use them to write a sequence of instructions.
a. Discuss the definition of ‘instructions’ and what it means to give someone instructions
b. Discuss that authors can write books to teach people how to paint, etc. Introduce the term: how-to book
c. Read the book
d. Share with students that as young authors they will now write their own “how-to” book
e. Make a class list, discuss that you must knowledgeable on the topic before you write the book. Share other mentor text, recipes, etc.
Expected outcome: Students will be able to use transitional words to write a how-to book on a topic of their choice.
Description: A child wakes up and paints a portrait. He uses transitional words and guides the readers through each step (how-to book).
Teach: W.1.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (explore a number of “how-to” books and use them to write a sequence of instructions.
a. Discuss the definition of ‘instructions’ and what it means to give someone instructions
b. Discuss that authors can write books to teach people how to paint, etc. Introduce the term: how-to book
c. Read the book
d. Share with students that as young authors they will now write their own “how-to” book
e. Make a class list, discuss that you must knowledgeable on the topic before you write the book. Share other mentor text, recipes, etc.
Expected outcome: Students will be able to use transitional words to write a how-to book on a topic of their choice.
December 18, 2008
How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird is an adaptation of a poem by French author Jacques Prevert. Translated and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Mordicai Gerstein, it is a beautifully poetic story that is not so much about healing or even birds, but about the power of art. The story provides instructions on capturing a bird to paint, beginning with directions to sketch an inviting birdcage to attract the bird. The fantasy of this procedure is whimsical and filled with child-like creativity as it celebrates the creative process and creative solutions to difficult problems. The illustrations are beautifully rendered and seem to call to mind the very portrait that the poem calls its readers to paint.
April 30, 2012
With a beautiful drawing/painting style, this book has a simple and sweet message:
In order to create beauty, one must put in effort,
or perhaps it's,
In order to create a relationship, one must be willing to give the other person freedom and choice, or perhaps it's,
Beauty is good for its own sake.
...Well perhaps it isn't so simple, but the many messages of this book are nonetheless sweet. Read it to a kid (or adult) who has trouble letting a sleeping dog/cat/creature lie, to a person struggling with creating their next masterpiece, to someone who has trouble finding friends, or whose friend just left, or anyone else. It'll probably do all of them some good, and add a touch of beauty into their lives.
In order to create beauty, one must put in effort,
or perhaps it's,
In order to create a relationship, one must be willing to give the other person freedom and choice, or perhaps it's,
Beauty is good for its own sake.
...Well perhaps it isn't so simple, but the many messages of this book are nonetheless sweet. Read it to a kid (or adult) who has trouble letting a sleeping dog/cat/creature lie, to a person struggling with creating their next masterpiece, to someone who has trouble finding friends, or whose friend just left, or anyone else. It'll probably do all of them some good, and add a touch of beauty into their lives.
March 5, 2013
My special favorite book illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. Stunningly beautiful, inspirational, a book we come back to again and again in my house.
We were privileged to attend a reading/drawing for children given by Mordicai Gerstein some years ago, when my son was about four years old. Mordicai asked my son if he liked to draw, and when my son responded YES, Mordicai advised him: "Never stop drawing." Both of my children have made "never stop drawing" their personal mantra, and they have not yet stopped. I thank Mordicai Gerstein from the bottom of my heart for that moment, and for all of his books, but most especially this one.
We were privileged to attend a reading/drawing for children given by Mordicai Gerstein some years ago, when my son was about four years old. Mordicai asked my son if he liked to draw, and when my son responded YES, Mordicai advised him: "Never stop drawing." Both of my children have made "never stop drawing" their personal mantra, and they have not yet stopped. I thank Mordicai Gerstein from the bottom of my heart for that moment, and for all of his books, but most especially this one.
May 23, 2013
Aprovechando que fui al FCE a leer libros gratis, me encontré con esta hermosísima edición del poema de Jaques Prévert "Para hacer el retrato de un pájaro" con ilustraciones que en verdad le dan vida al libro hechas por Mordicai Gerstein.
El libro es corto, pero cada verso ilustrado es una delicia para pasar el rato y leer y releer. Lo recomiendo muchísimo y creo que sería un gran regalo para un niño. La edición no es muy barata pero vale la pena y si usted señor, señora, no tiene para comprarlo, vaya a su librería más cercana, ábralo y dese unos 20 minutos para leerlo y apreciar las ilustraciones de manera gratuita. Su cerebro se lo va a agradecer.
El libro es corto, pero cada verso ilustrado es una delicia para pasar el rato y leer y releer. Lo recomiendo muchísimo y creo que sería un gran regalo para un niño. La edición no es muy barata pero vale la pena y si usted señor, señora, no tiene para comprarlo, vaya a su librería más cercana, ábralo y dese unos 20 minutos para leerlo y apreciar las ilustraciones de manera gratuita. Su cerebro se lo va a agradecer.
January 2, 2014
This is an interpretation of a poem by Prévert, filled with imagination and wonder, beautiful color and magical events, all from that first brushstroke. A boy paints a cage, then takes it to a forest, or a park, or… And then the magic happens, a bird appears, and the painting becomes a tree. All the text including “Paint the smell of the sunshine and the flowers, and the songs of the bees and the butterflies” are beautifully illustrated by Caldecott winner Gerstein (who won for The Man Who Walked Between The Towers). This is a book to treasure.
December 1, 2007
Oh, my goodness! This is the most WONDERFULLY AND ASTOUNDINGLY GLORIOUS picture book! Everything is just perfect here -- each page is planned with such care but without the marks of mundane workmanship -- it's artistic and organic and natural and full of inspiration and life. I was totally taken by this book and it doesn't hurt that the text is expertly translated of a meaningful poem (in French, originally.) This is a book that I want to own and treasure and share with the world.
December 10, 2016
Just seeing the cover of this beautiful book made me want to open it up. Gerstein takes the simple verse Prévert wrote in 1949 and layers in his ink and watercolor illustrations to interact with and extend the original poem. The red breast of the bluebird is like an eye magnet on each page. The book imaginatively captures the tension between creating and not controlling or possessing the creation. (I wish this book had been in the running for a Caldecott when it was published in 2007.)
January 10, 2009
This book can be appreciated on many levels from child through adult. June especially loves pointing out the bird on the pages and loves it even more when we make tweet-like sound effects for the birds with music notes coming out of their beaks. Definitely a very interesting book from the adult perspective, but fun for our little birdwatcher, too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews