“Brown takes a direct approach to a difficult subject, suggesting how community rituals provide solace. “Robinson stays true to the intent of the original text and illustrations but elegantly improves upon it with cinematic storytelling.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Finally, they sing sweet songs to send the little bird on its way.Ī beautiful book to share with children beginning to grapple with loss. In the park, they dig a hole for the bird and cover it with warm sweet-ferns and flowers. They are very sorry, so they decide to say good-bye. One day, the children find a bird lying on its side with its eyes closed and no heartbeat. This classic picture book by beloved children’s book author Margaret Wise Brown is gorgeously reillustrated for a contemporary audience by the critically acclaimed, Caldecott Honor winning illustrator Christian Robinson. This would be an excellent book for a young child to read in preparation for the funeral of a distant relative or stranger reading and discussing appropriate behavior surrounding death in general could really help them navigate the situation for the first time.This New York Times Best Illustrated Book is a heartwarming classic from the author of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, with stunning, evocative art by #1 New York Times bestselling and multiple-award-winning illustrator Christian Robinson ( You Matter and Last Stop on Market Street). While the feelings of death could've been dealt with in more detail, the truth is that the funeral was for a little bird they found, not a beloved pet or relative.

The story is so simple and has the sweetest illustrations. They then visit the grave with flowers each day until the day comes that they forget, and from the forest the bird's little stone watches on as the friends play baseball in the clearing they found it in. The bird is wrapped in leaves and flowers, gently covered in dirt, and the children sing their song once more before laying down a stone they've written on for their dead bird. They decide to mimic an adult funeral by carrying the bird into the forest while singing about how it will no longer fly, on account of being dead. The children observe how the bird is still warm but its heart has stopped beating soon later, the bird becomes cold and stiff and the children can no longer easily move its tiny limbs. The story is a simple, matter-of-fact description of the time a group of young friends find a dead bird. I recommend this for all young children, not just those in mourning.

The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown