Bird is Dead

by Tiny Fisscher, Herma Starreveld (Illustrator)

Overview

An honest and simple exploration of death and grief for kids 4 to 8. With playful illustrations by a therapist-turned-artist, Bird is Dead uses humor to make death a more approachable topic.

Bird is dead. Yesterday he was alive. How do the other birds know? On your back + feet up = dead. Some of the birds cry a little. And that’s alright. Crying together can be nice. When it’s time to give Bird a funeral, they reminisce about him, and then have tea with worms (or cake, if you don’t like worms).

In a straightforward but warm way, this picture book of collaged birds can facilitate discussions with kids about:

• What happens when someone dies
• How to understand their feelings of loss and grief
• How everyone can experience grief differently, and have a variety of emotions when something tragic happens

Sensitive and humorous, Bird is Dead provides kids and adults with a space to talk about death on their own terms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781778401176
Publisher:	Greystone Books
Publication date:	03/26/2024
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.75(w) x 9.75(h) x 0.00(d)
Lexile:	AD350L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tiny Fisscher writes for all ages in all genres, and is the author of many books for children.

Herma Starreveld was originally a therapist and now works as a mixed media artist.

Editorial Reviews

Can be helpful when helping children understand and say goodbye…..A nice addition to parenting collections on death and dying….[for] all collections that serve young children."
—Stephanie Tournas, Youth Services Book Review

"Gorgeous…a work that fascinates and helps turn death from the macabre mystery to a part of life that deserves time and care.”
—Kiss the Book

“Fischer and Starreveld’s picture book invites an honest exploration of death and grief … The story, conveyed with simplicity, carries the profound message that grief and loss are complex emotions, experienced uniquely by each individual, yet entirely normal and acceptable. Fischer’s narrative embraces acceptance without judgment, while Starreveld’s illustrations transport the reader into a realm where reality fades into the distance.”
—Mat Tobin, Books for Keeps

"Empathy abounds….plain talk…honor[s] young readers' maturity about life's singular inevitability….Bird is dead, and this refreshingly direct story should equip kids to process their own emotions while dealing with real-life losses."
—Shelf Awareness, STARRED Review

"Imbue[d] with humorous and poignant touches...Honest words and arresting characters model the essential elements for one of life’s most difficult conversations."
—Kirkus, STARRED review

"Revealing each one as a distinct individual with their own thoughts and feelings... the honest, matter-of-fact portrayal of what occurs after someone dies is laid out in a tale to which young children can relate."
—Booklist

“This plainspoken and candid lens on death is a conversation-starter.”
—Horn Book

"Unexpectedly tender... honoring the spectrum of grief and its varied manifestations"
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, STARRED

From the Publisher

04/05/2024

PreS-Gr 3—The title spells it out. A group of patchwork birds discovers that one of their friends has died. They move through stages of grief together, from shock and disbelief to sadness to acceptance. In short bursts of very direct dialogue, the friends share the news and process their feelings together. The matter-of-fact tone and characters' range of reactions could give children and families a model for asking their own questions and expressing complicated and even contradictory feelings. Illustrations appear to be mixed-media collage with ink details. Each bird is distinct. Some wear hats, and most have pointy beaks and sharp talons; some children will not find these visually comforting. In one wordless spread, the group trudges across a bleak, cloudy landscape to the burial spot, dragging the body of their friend past bare, thorny trees. However, the return trip across the same landscape is brightened by a ray of sunshine. The book ends with the group gathered around a lantern-lit tree trunk, sharing tea, cake, and worms, along with stories of their friend. Important topics, both death and grief are dealt with in a spare, straightforward manner. The language and mood are not sugarcoated in the slightest, making this is a strong addition to sections on loss and mourning, alongside Margaret Wise Brown's The Dead Bird and Anastasia Higginbotham's Death Is Stupid. VERDICT A solid purchase for collections on grief.—Jennifer Costa

School Library Journal