Bluebird by Bob Staake

A little boy is sad and lonely, and then a bluebird comes and changes his day. The small bird offers him friendship and happiness follows, until a dramatic event occurs!

Bluebird is a wordless picture book, and its gorgeous graphics invite a slow and careful reading. The eloquent simplicity of the illustrations will draw readers in, yet this is also deceiving as there’s a lot to see as the eye moves over the sequential frames within each page.

Emotionally, the story is even more stark and moving without words. Bob Staake has created an atmospheric picture book, whose beauty lies in its clarity and empathy. I liked it very much and hope it will find a broad audience. For ages 3 and up.


Alexa Dretzke