Review by Booklist Review
It's the first day of spring when the white feather appears on Finn's doorstep. Finn thinks it's amazing and perfect because he's sure his brother, Hamish, sent it to him. Readers will understand Hamish is dead when Finn's friend Lucas then asks, Really? Angels can do that? Finn is sure they can, but the question is, What to do with the feather? The story follows the boys through a school day as they find ways to have fun with the feather. They make a castle with the feather atop it; they tickle each other; they rescue the feather when it gets caught in the branches of a tree; and, quietly, they remember how cool Hamish had been. At story's end, Finn finds an inspired way to thank Hamish for the gift. Inspired by Noble's own experience of loss, and enhanced by Abbott's naive, softly colored double-page-spread illustrations, the gentle story deals with death gracefully by celebrating those who have gone before. It will provide a welcome opportunity for parents to discuss a serious issue with their young children.--Michael Cart Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Children grieve differently from adults, and that's okay, suggests this warmhearted story from Australian writer Noble, herself a mother who's lost a child. One morning, Finn finds a feather on his doorstep-"It was white, it was amazing, it was perfect"-and tells his mother that it's from his dead brother, Hamish. "Mom took a deep breath and gave him a great, big hug." When he shows the feather to his teacher, she sighs, too. "Why was he the only one excited about his feather?" Fortunately, Finn's friend Lucas is happy to play with Finn's discovery. They top a castle with the feather, and when it blows away, their classmates help to rescue it. Soft, brightly colored spreads by Abbott (Twindergarten) make Finn's energy and resilience clear and use unusual perspectives to amplify the emotion in the words. The moment when Finn discovers the feather is presented as an aerial shot, seen from the place where, perhaps, he feels Hamish may be. Some children, Noble observes, experience loss as a complex set of feelings that involves excitement, sadness, pleasure, and regret all muddled up together. Combined, the art and story create a useful, moving resource for bereaved children and their families. Ages 4-8. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-On the first day of spring, Finn is greeted by an amazing, perfect, white feather. Finn soon realizes that what makes this feather so special is that it was sent by his brother Hamish from heaven. When the boy shares this news with his mother, she sighs and offers him a big hug, as well as a reminder that his brother will always be with him, "Feather or no feather." When Finn shows the feather to his teacher, she also sighs and gives him a great, big smile. Just when Finn thinks that he was the only one who is excited about a perfect feather sent by his brother, his friend Lucas seems to completely understand. They spend the rest of the day celebrating and playing with the feather; just as Finn knows Hamish had intended. At the end of the day, after seeing how much the feather means to him, Finn's mother seems to finally get it. One white feather inspires Finn to write a letter to Hamish, and to set up a tree of remembrance in the yard with his mom in order to honor his brother. Abbott's soft, airy, colored pencil illustrations are the perfect companion to Noble's careful text. Despite the heavy subject matter, Noble and Abbott have paired to create a light, happy story that teaches readers, through Finn, how to celebrate and remember a loved one. VERDICT A truly lovely look at loss and remembrance, best shared one-on-one with a caring adult.-Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Young Finn is thrilled to find a white feather on his doorstep one morning. His excitement seems overblown until it becomes clear that he believes the feather was sent by his "angel" brother. This is a beautifully understated grief story featuring art that allows sadness to edge Finn's elation. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
One spring morning young Finn finds a big white feather on his doorstep that, he thinks, was sent by his brother from heaven.His mother and teacher only smile when he announces that it's from Hamish, but his friend Lucas gets properly excited: "It's amazing!" he marvels and then asks Finn what he's going to do with it. First the two lads construct a pretend castle (from, in the colored-pencil illustrations, improbably large logs) and place the feather right on top; then it's off to have further fun with chases and with tickles, to mount a rescue when it's blown into a tree, and finally to write a letter to Hamish with it"I whish you were here," the little boy prints carefullyto be likewise deposited in a tree for the wind to deliver. Despite the situation (Noble herself lost a son named Hamish, according to the flap copy) and the pictures' muted colors and soft focus, the episode is less about grieving the loss of a loved one than finding positive ways to remember and to regard the deceased. Finn and his mother are white; Lucas, their teacher, and some of the children in several scenes have slightly darker complexions.A good choice to share with a bereaved child: poignant, but not heavily sentimental. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
