Review by Booklist Review
Every day, Sam is rudely awakened by a bird screeching just outside his bedroom window. And every day, he tells the bird: "Go away, I want to wake up quietly!" But the blue, black, and white magpie doesn't listen to the disgruntled child, and the morning ritual continues with the boy growing more dismayed at the disruption. He attempts to chase the interloper away using different methods--squirting it with a hose, posting a picture of a predatory owl in a tree, creating a racket of his own--but it's not until a neighbor gently suggests that Sam approach the problem from a different angle that he slowly begins to make progress. Brightly colored naive paintings (trees sport different varieties of leaves), ranging in size and shape, depict the tale of the persevering child and determined bird. The words wake up are printed in bold type throughout, and readers will come to understand why at the book's conclusion. Patience and a never-give-up attitude allow Sam to turn a foe into a friend in this Dutch translation.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--An unexpected story of problem-solving. Sam is not an early bird, but the magpie that lives in the tree outside his window is. Every morning the loud shrieking wakes Sam in a way that is at odds with how he would like to start his day. Sam tries everything to get the bird to just go away and be quiet. Nothing works until the day his neighbors suggest trying something different: What if Sam is kind to the magpie? Bright colors, Sam's poof-ball hat, and the family dog make an appearance on every page as the story unfolds in Sam's room and backyard. There are many things to see in the illustrations that might not be noticed in the first reading. VERDICT This fun and colorful story, though not an essential purchase, is perfect for any child who chafes at early mornings.--Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford Coll., TX
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Waking up early to a loud noise, Sam is quite indignant. The alarm clock reads 6:30, and the White boy wearing a hat with a pompom and his small brown dog sporting a scarf are both startled from sleep by "SHRIEK SHRIEK" (printed in a scratchy, faux handprinted display type). He spots a blue, white, and black bird in a tree. The bird plagues the boy each day. Sam shoots water from the hose at the bothersome bird, clangs the metal garbage can, and posts a picture of a predator owl. No parent appears, but a friendly man (also White) offers some advice from over the hedge: "Have you tried to make friends with the bird?…Magpies can be very smart, you know." Sam gets an idea from his dog. Maybe he can teach the bird to let him sleep. He sets up a chalkboard with stick figure drawings and lectures the bird. Kids will want to interpret the drawings and point out the magpie watching carefully from a tree stump nearby; the dog, a squirrel, and other birds all pay close attention too. Finally Sam's hard work pays off. The "smart" magpie surprises Sam, as the bird learns some human words (as magpies can) and one morning cheerily substitutes "WAKE UP WAKE UP"--albeit still at sunrise. Pleasingly naïve illustrations of a rural town accompany the smooth translation in this Dutch and Flemish import. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.4-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 35.2% of actual size.) Persistence makes a difference in this understated charmer. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
