Caldecott Medalist Allen Say's tale of a young boy who saves a baby bird from the local bullies is filled with compassion and empathy. Based on a true story and gorgeously illustrated, this story from an iconic picture book creator is not to be missed.
A young boy sees a baby bird quivering in the hands of a neighborhood bully.
Suddenly, he wants the orphan sparrow more than anything. He trades all his treasures for the bird and calls it Kozo, Little Boy.
But how will he keep Kozo alive?
In this painted album of memory, eight-year-old Allen Say talks about the best friend he made in his childhood.---from the publisher
40 pages Ages 4-8
Keywords: birds, friendship, bullying, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old
*************** "Grandmother had lived alone until I came, and I made her unhappy.
‘Drawing again!' she would say. 'You'll never amount to anything!'
She sounded just like my father, who believed artists were unrespectable.
I was turning twelve. One day Grandmother said, 'I have spoken with your mother. If you study hard and get accepted at Aoyama Middle School, we will let you live alone.'
'What do you mean, Grandmother?' I asked.
'We will rent an apartment for you where you can be a serious student.'
'Are you joking? I'm only twelve years old.'
'I do not jest,' she said.
I stared at Grandmother. She wasn't smiling, but she wasn't scowling, either."
– from Allen Say’s 2011 Sibert Honor book, DRAWING FROM MEMORY
“Who will love a little Sparrow
Who's traveled far and cries for rest?
‘Not I’, said the Oak Tree
‘I won't share my branches with no Sparrow's nest
And my blanket of leaves won't warm her cold breast’
– Simon and Garfunkel (1964)
“The three bad boys were busy.
I always ran when I saw them, but this time,
I wanted to see what they had stolen.
Toad boy had something in his hand…a baby bird.
Was it still alive?
When Toad Boy poked at it, it twitched. Just then I wanted
the tiny baby more than anything in the world.
‘What are you going to do with it?’ I asked from a distance.
The bullies stared at me. Only the village policeman talked
to them–always to chase them away.
‘What do you care?’ Toad Boy said.
‘What do you want for it?’ I asked.
‘What’ve you got?’”
We learn in KOZO THE SPARROW how eight-year-old Allen Say readily traded all of his cool, little-boy, prized possessions to the trio of bullies in exchange for the tiny baby bird. It must have fallen from a nest. With great patience, doing his best to be a good surrogate mother, Allen succeeds in fostering the baby sparrow. Providing love and attention, the sparrow grows to become his companion and friend.
In a climactic scene, the bullies confront the boy, clearly seeking to steal back the grown bird. But, in an act of pure parental love, Allen frees the now-flightworthy Kozo.
I love this metaphorical portrayal of a parent doing their all to love and care for an offspring, and then freeing them to chart their own path.
Allen Say has won the Caldecott Medal and Caldecott Honor award. His distinctive style, stretching back over four decades, is readily recognizable here. His pencil and watercolor portrayals of the bird are breathtaking. The story of the little boy caring about and caring for the most vulnerable is so heartfelt. There will be plenty of quiet, loving boys for whom this story will resonate. It’s one of those books you want to throw your arms around and squeeze.
Recommended by: Richie Partington, MLIS, California USA
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