The New York Times Book Review
Berk's able storytelling enriches and elaborates on what might otherwise seem a tired notion.
—Pamela Paul
Publishers Weekly
Berk (The Secret History of Giants) presents a delicate, lyrical story about independence, trusting one’s instincts and abilities, and bats. Written in passionate prose-poetry, it stars Chiro, a bat who is nervous about his first solo venture. Momma reassures him that his “good sense” will help him find his way. “Sense is the song you sing out into the world, and the song the world sings back to you.” It’s a brilliant description of echolocation and an equally strong metaphor for the logic and perception that human children can use to cut through fear. Long’s (Otis and the Tornado) soft lines convey the concept clearly; surrounded by ink-black night, Chiro’s song illuminates a cone-shaped area in front of him, which reveals trees, geese, and other surprises in the dark. The only odd note is Chiro himself; Long opts for an anthropomorphized hero with huge ears, fuzzy texturing, and a quizzical look—he’s more flying teddy bear than bat. Still, if his cuddly looks and Berk’s insights make bats and their swooping flight less mysterious, it’s all for the good. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
* "Exquisite design coupled with evocative illustrations enrich this charming tale of a little bat taking his first solo flight and how he learns to “see” with his “good sense,” otherwise known as echolocation.... Young ones will relate to Chiro and cheer as he gains confidence with his newfound skill and will be deeply satisfied flying along on his sensory-rich journey."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Shelf Talker
"Ari Berk's (The Secret History of Mermaids) lyrical text and Loren Long's acrylic-and-graphite nightscapes re-imagine the classic tale of a young one leaving its nest as a journey of not only independence but also of creativity.... This lyrical, sumptuous picture book about a small bat taking his first solo night flight will inspire confidence in any child trying something new—and independently—for the first time."
School Library Journal - Audio
11/01/2013
PreS-Gr 2—T. Ryder Smith brings a poet's cadence to his reading of Berk's story (S & S, 2012) about Chiro, a young bat's first solo journey into the night. It imagines his initial fear and building confidence as he discovers his song, or the echo that sings back to him, as he learns to find his way in the dark. Smith captures the young bat's questions and the mother's belief that her son can get his own breakfast this time. Voicing the question, "What is sense?," Smith captures the wonder of a child, followed by the mother's calm release when she "let him go" with an equally profound delivery. As Chiro begins to understand how his song works to show him the way, Smith's voicing becomes bolder. Have the book available so that listeners can see Loren Long's beautiful acrylic-and-graphite illustrations. The author's final note explaining the inspiration for the name Chiro is also narrated. This story works as a wonderful introduction to a unit on echolocation or a study of bats.—Janet Thompson, West Belmont Branch, Chicago Public Library, IL
Kirkus Reviews
Exquisite design coupled with evocative illustrations enrich this charming tale of a little bat taking his first solo flight and how he learns to "see" with his "good sense," otherwise known as echolocation. Although picture books about bats abound, small Chiro will capture readers' hearts immediately. When the bat-mother tells her child it is time for him to fly alone, the little one shares his fears about the darkness and his inability to see. His mother instructs him on what to do--"sing out into the world, and [listen to] the song the world sings back to you. Sing, and the world will answer. That is how you'll see." Up to this point, Long, utilizing acrylics and graphite, features the two creatures up close in toasty browns against a textured dark background. When the mother lets Chiro go, the page turn reveals an emotional change in perspective. No longer is the young bat cuddly and large on the page; now he appears tiny and vulnerable in the immense black spread. Talented storytelling features rich yet concrete language to describe and to build suspense during the bat's nocturnal trip. Vague but frightening shapes in the dark become defined as trees, bugs, geese and ocean waves in the bluish-green tones used to render a visual of the bat's echolocation. Young ones will relate to Chiro and cheer as he gains confidence with his newfound skill and will be deeply satisfied flying along on his sensory-rich journey. (Picture book. 4-7)
