Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bernard is a tiny bird whose long wings--so long that when he stands on a tree branch, the wings tumble almost to the ground--mean that he doesn't fly like the other birds. Adamson (A Fox Found a Box) draws his protagonist in expressive watercolor and pencil: Bernard is a softly textured lilac circle with big eyes and a pert orange beak. When it's clear that not even a catapult can help him fly, Bernard takes to "a lonely branch," but stops feeling sorry for himself when he discovers that he is uniquely suited to offer enveloping, life-affirming hugs. First he perks up a depressed orangutan ("I feel very sad and I'm not sure why!"), and soon all the animals (and a brave worm) are lining up--not only for hugs but for some therapy as well ("Sleeping in the day, I feel like I'm missing all the fun," a glum bat confides). The lesson is a simple, familiar one--selflessness and sympathy are key to making friends--but Adamson's gentle humor and his eager-eyed characters' yearning become an eloquent testimony to the power of a little TLC. Ages 3--7. Agent: Isabel Atherton, Creative Authors. (Feb.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--A tiny purple bird longs to fly with his feathered friends but is grounded by his extremely long wings. After many failed attempts at staying airborne, including being sprung from a slingshot, Bernard resigns himself to a solitary life on a lonely branch. Seasons pass and the woebegone birdie stays perched, with his droopy, scarf-like appendages trailing despondently down the tree trunk. When Bernard hears a sob coming from "someone even more dejected," he offers comfort. The little bird's compassionate nature, combined with a mammoth wingspan, makes him a top-notch hugger. Word soon spreads throughout the forest, and a long line of animals wait their turn for some loving attention. Adamson's warm and expressive watercolor and pencil illustrations show Bernard wrapped around a ticklish crocodile, snuggled up beside a blissed-out bunny, and patiently listening to a bat's troubles during an evening therapy session. This small bird discovers he can reach new heights by leaning on his peers. VERDICT Told with humor and heart, this sweet friendship tale soars.--Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ont.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Watch out, Hug Machine (Scott Campbell, 2014), there's another long-limbed lover of squeezes in the mix.Bernard, a tiny, lavender bird, dejectedly sits atop a high branch. His wings droop all the way to the ground. Heaving a sigh, his disappointment is palpable. With insufferably long wings, he has never been able to fly. All of his friends easily took to the skies, leaving him behind. There is nothing left to do but sit in his tree and feel sorry for himself. Adamson amusingly shows readers the passage of time with a sequence of vignettes of Bernard sitting in the rain, the dark, and amid a cloud of paper waspsnever moving from his branch. Then one day he hears a sob and finds a tearful orangutan. Without even thinking, Bernard wraps his long wings around the great ape. The orangutan is comforted! Bernard has finally found the best use of his wings. In gentle watercolor and pencil sketches, Adamson slips in many moments of humor. Animals come from all over to tell Bernard their troubles (a lion muses that it is "lonely at the top of the food chain" while a bat worries about missing out on fun during the day). Three vertical spreads that necessitate a 90-degree rotation add to the fun.Readers will agree: All differences should be hugged, er, embraced. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
