Review by Booklist Review
Gómez's bittersweet and beautiful picture book, inspired by her own childhood experiences, shows how a grandmother's house can feel like a magical, safe space for unexpected adventures. While the storyline here is simple--a grandmother and granddaughter take care of an injured bird and set it free--the meticulous images bring to life a more important, emotional lesson. The eloquent, poetic Spanish translation mirrors the comfort and joy the narrator feels in her grandmother's home, surrounded by compassion, nostalgia, and empathy for all living things, even when that means letting them go. Young readers will delight in the collage-like illustrations, where a bright yellow bird flits about, spreading joy and wonder. The lively palette and multimedia artwork come together to create a cozy haven in the house of Abuela, where life lessons are learned and cherished.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A loving intergenerational relationship between a light brown--skinned narrator and their abuela is the heartening center of this tender narrative by author-illustrator Gómez. When the pair find an injured yellow bird in the winter, they nurse it back to health, keeping it indoors in a domed cage as it heals, and then release it into the city skies. But a special guest awaits in the spring--as does a surprise that Abuela has built just for the occasion. Abuela's gentle wisdom takes center stage ("You are cured now, little bird, you have to fly free") amid spare prose ("Snow melted into spring"). Detailed, richly colored paper collage and digital illustrations highlight appealing paper textures, lending dimension to domestic spreads featuring dot-eyed humans. A refreshing ending imparts a message of the significance of natural preservation and respecting animals' agency. Ages 4--8. (Apr.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
A child and her abuela are walking in the snow when they discover an injured bird. They bring the bird home, and Abuela nurses it back to health. The bird has a cage, but Abuela lets it fly through the apartment as it recovers, to the child's (and the reader's) delight. When the creature is healed, Abuela sends it off to fly free, and it disappears into the clouds above the city. In the spring, the bird returns; the child wants to keep it, but Abuela says it should remain free but is welcome to visit whenever it wants. Spare, simple, first-person text, narrated from the child's point of view, leaves room for the sweet, collage-like illustrations to pull readers' attention into the story and hold them in this magical space. The illustrations exude the warmth and coziness of a dear relationship between a young child and loving caregiver, and this cherished relationship is enhanced by the new friend they make together. A combination of neutral and bright colors in the art creates eye-catching layers, while the straight lines of rooms and buildings balance the rounded shapes of the characters. The small yellow bird brightens up their apartment in the city, and Abuela's gentle lessons through her actions and words are easily inferred. Published concurrently in Spanish as Un pajaro en casa. Autumn Allen July/August 2021 p.80(c) Copyright 2021. 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
A little yellow bird is grounded in the snow with a broken leg when a child and their abuela rescue it. Cupping it gently in her hands, Abuela takes the bird home and sets its leg while her grandchild eagerly looks on. Settling the bird in a domed cage, they both care for it until, soon, the bird is flying around the house--to the child's delight and the cat's frustration. The day comes to release the healed bird, and the child waves it on its way as it flies over the city. But one spring day a familiar sight greets them--their winged friend has returned. Although the child yearns to keep it, Abuela soothingly reminds her grandchild that the bird belongs to itself and has the right to fly free. But Abuela constructs a sturdy birdhouse from a blueprint and mounts it beside the balcony door--an implicit invitation for future visits. Spanish author/illustrator Gómez's semiautobiographical tribute to her own abuela is a charming window into an idyllic childhood infused with love for all living things. The simple, flowing first-person narrative flits from page to page in a gentle lilting commentary on harmony and respect. Gómez's carefully constructed images, from the well-tended profusion of plants to the child-sized chair and mouse toy, are whimsically detailed and subtly compelling. Both child and Abuela have light-brown skin. A Spanish-language edition, Un pájaro en casa, publishes simultaneously. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) This little gem elicits a sense of deep-seated comfort and refuge for these uncertain times. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
