Bird, Balloon, Bear
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
A fresh and heartwarming new story from Il Sung Na about finding the courage to make a friend.
Bird is new to the forest, and he’s looking for a friend. Bear could use a friend, too.
But Bird is too shy to introduce himself. Just as he musters the courage to say hello . . . it’s too late! Bear has already found a friend: a bright, shiny red balloon.
Has Bird missed his chance?
From the acclaimed Il Sung Na comes a charming and beautifully illustrated story about courage, kindness, and friendship.
Peek inside the jacket for a special poster!
Praise for Il Sung Na:
"Na brings fresh energy to the familiar. With a coloring style that feels as if someone took a firecracker to a box of crayons, Na makes turtle shells as dynamic as a peacock's plumage." --The New York Times (The Opposite Zoo)
“Il Sung Na’s illustrative art is so joyous, so jubilantly colorful, it feels celebratory and poetic even when the story is simple and spare.” —The Boston Globe (A Book of Babies)
★ “[A] grand read-aloud.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred (Welcome Home, Bear)
★ "It’s the rare picture book that, upon arrival, feels as though it has been around for years already; Na’s belongs to this group.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred (A Book of Sleep)
★ "Vibrant [and] whimsical.” —School Library Journal, Starred (Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bird is new in the forest and looking for a friend but he's shy. When he sees Bear, he's overcome with bashfulness (the red plumage on Bird's head gives him something of a permanent blush). With sweet wit, Na (The Opposite Zoo) translates human social awkwardness into the language of forest creatures. Unable to strike up a conversation with Bear, Bird lurks behind a rock, hides in the bushes, then leans oh so casually against a tree, longing to be noticed. The forest's ethereal, lavender trees offer contrast to the tubby shapes of both creatures, and also to a red balloon that floats into sight. Bear is smitten with the balloon ("The friends spent all their time together. They played. They danced"). Bear isn't spurning Bird when he chooses Balloon; he just noticed Balloon first. It isn't until something happens to Balloon that Bear finally sees Bird. Making friends doesn't involve a magic formula or the right words; sometimes it's just a matter of patience and timing. Any reader who has suffered on the sidelines will feel instant sympathy for Bird. Ages 2 5.
