Of A Feather...Together Again

If you take a moment or two to watch birds, they have valuable lessons to teach us.  After watering flowers in an otherwise rainless few weeks, they will gather to feast on worms among the wet areas.  They will enjoy this meal together, robins and mourning doves.  Walking down a road or street, looking skyward, you might see a different story unfold.  A group of smaller birds will be chasing and diving after a larger bird.  The large bird has been making a pest of itself probably around a nest.

Companionship is built on similar values; mutual respect for differences allows for shared time together.  Two unlikely friends introduced to readers in Nerdy Birdy (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, September 22, 2015) written by Aaron Reynolds with pictures by Matt Davies have returned in Nerdy Birdy Tweets (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, August 1, 2017).  The lure of social media comes at a price.

This is Nerdy Birdy.

Nerdy Birdy loves playing video games.

This is Vulture.

Vulture thinks video 
games are boring.
Vulture loves snacking on
dead things.

It's hard to believe a small, glasses-wearing bird is best friends with a looming vulture but it's true.  Most of all they enjoy teasing each other about their lunches, making silly faces and taking pictures of those silly faces.  As strange as this relationship is, it works until one day Nerdy Birdy starts to play a new game called Tweetster.

Tweetster involves getting friends online.  These friends can or cannot send you messages, play games with you and exchange pictures.  To Nerdy Bird's amazement he soon has hundreds of friends; including a flamingo, an ostrich and even a puffin living in Iceland.

To Vulture this is boring with a capital B.  No matter what she does, even pointing out how she could eat Nerdy Birdy in one big gulp, Nerdy Birdy is hooked on Tweetster.  Vulture flies away.  Hours later Nerdy Birdy notices.

In an effort to continue their friendship Vulture joins Tweetster.  All is well but Nerdy Birdy makes a mistake, sending something to his Tweetster friends without asking Vulture.  Vulture flies away again and does not come back.

An entire week passes and there is no sign of Vulture.  Nerdy Birdy seeks helps and gets startling answers.  Sometimes the best thing is right in front of you. A flight focuses on friendship.  Compromise isn't everything, it's the only thing. Tweet! Tweet!


When author Aaron Reynolds spins this tale of friendship he does so with a sure knowledge of the essence of friends forged in real life as opposed to those garnered only online.  With a sense of humor he points to the chief characteristics of Nerdy Birdy and Vulture, but then follows with those three activities they relish together.  When Nerdy Birdy is captivated by Tweetster, again Aaron uses the technique of three.  Within the story line as a whole a rhythm is generated with actions and conversations in sets of three (or more).

In keeping with the flow of the narrative Nerdy Birdy's mistake becomes a gentle lesson on social media manners as well as reminding readers how friends need to think before they act.  Aaron also covers what a real friend will do to maintain a relationship.  Here is a sample passage.

"Let's do
something
different."

"In a minute."

"This is not fun."

"Did you realize I 
can fit your whole
body in my beak?
I could eat you in
one bite if I wanted."

"Mm-
hm. 
That's
nice."


When you look at Nerdy Birdy playing Tweetster on the front of the matching dust jacket and book case, you know he's hooked.  His entire focus is on the screen; his eyes, tiny wings and whole body give us that signal.  It's a wonderful design element to have a portion of the title as a text message on the new game.  To the left, on the back, a disgusted Vulture is glaring at Nerdy Birdy.  Her neck is extended downward and her large wings are placed on her hips.

The opening and closing endpapers are a dusty blue color.  On the title page beneath the text, Nerdy Birdy is tap, tap, tapping on the screen.  Rendered in pen and ink and watercolor on paper the illustrations by Matt Davies are filled with subtle and overt humor; Vulture is carrying an Official Hello Bir.... Lunchb... with a large bone sticking out of it, Nerdy Birdy eats Gluten-, Flavor-, Texture- & Excitement-Free Bread Crumbs, and on the screen of the game a bird is squawking Friend Notification.  This Friend Notification is used as a lightly patterned background on four pages.

What readers will enjoy most are the facial expressions on Vulture and Nerdy Bird.  Sometimes they are looking at each other but other times they are looking right at the reader.  They are burst-out-loud hilarious.  For those moments of increased emphasis, Matt switches out the perspective bringing us close to the characters.  The sizes of the images are altered to enhance the pacing; double-page spreads, a group of smaller pictures on a single page, an illustration set in a large visual or framed panels like in a graphic novel.

One of my many favorite illustrations is on a single page.  Nerdy Birdy is standing still, engrossed in the game on his screen.  Above him is Vulture.  All we see are her eyes and beak.  The beak is open and placed on either side of Nerdy Birdy.  She is trying to make a point and he is completely clueless.  She is looking at us as if to say, "Can you believe this?"


This companion title to Nerdy Birdy, Nerdy Birdy Tweets written by Aaron Reynolds with pictures by Matt Davies, is a humorous and worthy narrative about friendship in light of the use of social media.  It is about being "present" when you are with friends.  It is about being sensitive to the feelings of all our friends, virtual and those we can easily see in our daily lives.  This book is definitely recommended for your professional and personal bookshelves.

To learn more about Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  If you wish to see interior images, follow this link to the publisher's website.  Please refer to the post about the first collaboration to read a fun interview between Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies.

Of A Feather

It was as if they were conjured and controlled by an unseen magician.  Neither a chirp nor a cheep was uttered but there was the sound, the sound of hundreds of wing beats.  It was late in the afternoon as they dove and swirled and dove and swirled as if dancing an avian ballet.  My furry friend and I paused in our walk standing as still as stone, both unable to believe this phenomenon was happening next to us.

These starlings left as swiftly as they came, flying as a unit with a seemingly single conscience.  Some scientists speculate they instinctively stay together to locate food and to repel predators; there is survival in numbers.  With humans it is sometimes a different kind of survival; a fine line we walk in choosing which paths to take, wanting to belong but maintaining our individuality.  Nerdy Birdy (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, September 22, 2015) written by Aaron Reynolds with pictures by Matt Davies follows a bird seeking to find his place among his feathered fellows.

This is Nerdy Birdy.
His glasses are too big.
His wings are too small.

He can't eat what other birds eat.  He is not one of the cool birds.  Eagle is a muscle-bound hunter.  Cardinal is a flamboyant vocalist.  Robin is a compulsive connoisseur of worms.

Nerdy Birdy is passionate about reading, video games and reading about said games.  Every time he wants to share his excitement for a particular book or the game, The Earthworm King in World of Wormcraft, Eagle, Cardinal and Robin nix his enthusiasm.  Nerdy Birdy finds himself alone and lonely whether they are with him or not.  One day a voice calls out to him.

This new bird challenges his resolve to remain with the snooty threesome.  In fact, a bunch of nerdy birdies, identical to him in nearly every way, invite him to join their roosting on a wire.  It's goodbye to aloneness and hello to being a member of the brainy bunch.

A new arrival alters the community social dynamics.  Nerdy Birdy is not surprised by some of the responses but others leave him perplexed.  Recognition and compassion forge a bond setting an unforeseen precedent.


One of the first things you notice about this story of friendship is the comedic pacing conceived and supplied by Aaron Reynolds.  Two words, Nerdy Birdy, hook you.  After describing the nerdiness of this bird, Reynolds launches into the attributes of Eagle, Cardinal and Robin pointing out the more obvious physical qualities but adding humorous touches for the intended audience and as well as older readers.  When the trio leaves in pursuit of their daily endeavors he again includes more funny remarks.

The dialogue between the characters throughout the narrative clearly designates their personalities leading us to the heart of the story and the surprising conclusion.  There are groups of three statements and thoughts throughout this story which are attractive to a reader's psyche.  This plus the repetition of key phrases are a sign of excellent writing.  Here is a sample passage.

Three things Eagle is good at:
1. Hunting
2. Fishing
3. Football


If the text does not have you bursting out in laughter (you should probably check to see if you are still breathing if this is the case) the illustrations rendered in pen, ink and watercolor by Matt Davies will have you rolling on the floor.  The matching dust jacket and book case accentuate the qualities of Nerdy Birdy by zooming in on his face.  To the left, on the back, Eagle, Cardinal and Robin are acting out their pretentious, unfriendly identities. Eagle calls out nerd, Cardinal is making the well-known nerd sign with his feathered fingers around his eyes and Robin is pointing and laughing. Bird-beak yellow colors the opening and closing endpapers.

Davies enhances the text at every page turn with his gift for incorporating the smallest details.  When we learn of Nerdy Birdy's too small wings he is standing outside a toy store window featuring a T-Rex.  As he hunts for breadcrumbs he is carrying a basket.  Eagle's hunting and fishing has him attacking a rhinoceros and a shark. Nerdy Birdy is reading a book written by the same author who wrote Worm & Peace. The image on the newcomer's lunch box is hilarious.

Design, layout and perspective by Davies create a flow pairing nicely with the story.  When Eagle, Cardinal and Robin leave all we see are their feet and lower bodies as they exit the page.  Nerdy Birdy is standing alone at the bottom. White space and lightly colored backgrounds play an important part.

One of my favorite illustrations is the first one we see of Nerdy Birdy.  It sets the tone for the entire book.  How can we not want to know more about this bird with those eyes and those glasses?  We can all feel a kinship with a bird finding himself on the outside looking in.


If you have not read Nerdy Birdy written by Aaron Reynolds with pictures by Matt Davies make sure you do so as soon as possible.  If you've already read it, go now and read it again, preferably aloud.  There is nothing better than laughing and learning at the same time.

Please visit the websites of Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies to learn more about them and their work by following the links attached to their names.  Be sure to stop over at the publisher's website to see eight interior illustrations. Aaron and Matt interview each other on Elizabeth O. Dulemba's site.  You are really going to like what you read at the end of the interview.

For some reason this video is now stuck in my head after reading this book.  It might have something to do with the birds and their words in this book.




If you want to experience visually what Xena and I saw mentioned in the introduction follow this link.  It's amazing.

Riding On The Right Road

No matter your age the thrill of a dream come true is unmatched.  It may only take a week or sometimes months, years or even most of a lifetime for it to be realized.  It usually seems children can find great joy in far simpler things than adults unless we remember to keep that child's heart alive as we grow older.

One of the memories many of us have in common is of our first bicycle; the style, color, gears, brakes and wheel size, everything about it, is as fresh as if it happened yesterday. Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, Matt Davies, has written and illustrated his first picture book, Ben Rides On (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press) about such a day.  Two boys and one bicycle make for an unforgettable twenty-four hours.

Now that he had the 
bicycle of his dreams,
Ben Lukin loved
going to school.

Truth be told, Ben may have loved going to school, but he was in no hurry to get there.  You might say he took one of the most extensive, most varied routes possible to arrive.  He wanted to move up, down, and all around on his new set of wheels for as long as possible.

Once he rolled into the schoolyard all his joy vanished like a puff of smoke.  Big, bad Adrian Underbite may dislike Ben but he liked his bike.  What Adrian Underbite wanted, he got.

Ben's day passed in a blur, his thoughts alternating between his deep sense of loss and plans for retaliation.  After the final bell rings, trudging home on foot, Ben heard an odd noise.  Running up, down and all around he came upon his bike, hanging from a tree branch.  It was not the only thing hanging either.

Peering over the grassy cliff, Ben saw Adrian dangling by his arms from a branch jutting out from the valley wall.  Now here's the thing, Ben has his stolen property back (in a somewhat mangled state) with his foe in a precarious position.  It was a time for choices.  Three were made.


It's crystal clear from the opening sentence that Matt Davies has not forgotten what it's like to get the bicycle of your dreams.  Not only does does he rekindle those recollections but he does so with heartfelt, youthful vim and vigor and a special kind of humor.  We laugh along with the story because we can identify so well with the events; his telling is true to life.  In some degree or another we've felt Ben's joy, his sadness, his sense of justice served, his moment of indecision, his disbelief and ultimately his sense of hope.  Here are a couple of examples of his word choices and use of language.

After watching Adrian ride off on his
prized possession, Ben was devastated
(and late for class.)

Then suddenly, without warning, he lunged like an airborne walrus toward his rescuer.

It's the pacing of the narrative (text) with the illustrations which sets this title above others.  Opening the front and back jacket and cover readers get a sense of the action about to unfold.  What the back reveals is Ben's crow friend in flight right behind him as Adrian follows in hot pursuit.  The red, green and steely lavender color introduced here are used throughout the title.

Light, lively, sketchy lines and tiny details make the illustrations breathe; details like the logo on Adrian's T-shirt of the thundercloud with a lightning bolt or the bicycle pictures on Ben's wall in his bedroom above a gear-like lamp.  Alternating the size ( full page, double page, smaller insets), perspective (viewing Ben's route to school, the underside of his shoe as a large element on the page as Ben runs and his face looking over the cliff edge), and framing of the visuals, contributes to the reader's sense of participation in this book.  The addition of the crow (as the crow flies?) appearing on his route to school, staying with Ben throughout the entire ordeal, as companion, helper and adviser, is the crowning touch.  One of my favorite illustrations is Ben riding to school over a viaduct, down a sloping hill, crossing water with shark fins circling, charging up a ramp and soaring through the air over the tops of five school buses in a row.  Pure joy!

I sincerely hope this is the first of many picture books by Matt Davies.  If he would bring Ben back for further adventures after Ben Rides On readers (including myself) would clap and cheer loud enough for him to hear in Connecticut.  I will be adding this book to my Mock Caldecott board on Learnist.

Please visit Matt Davies official website by following the link embedded in his name above.  For a peek at more illustrations follow this link to the publisher's website.