Review by Booklist Review
Amelia is lonely, but when two children move in next door, she hesitates to meet them, worrying she won't be able to play with them--"not like she used to." Her mother, comforting Amelia as her new wheelchair sits nearby, gently suggests that it might be worth a try, but Amelia simply isn't ready. She keeps herself plenty busy in the meantime, absorbing herself in adventure stories and observing the nest of a redstart family, eventually learning about the incredible journeys the birds take when they're grown. Feeling inspired, Amelia decides that she, too, can face incredible, unknown adventures, and she leaves the house in her chair, eagerly joining her friendly neighbors in all their activities, including a wheelchair-accessible playhouse. The delightful story does a marvelous job of giving Amelia room to explore life on her own terms, and the dreamy pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are wonderfully creative, incorporating glimpses of Amelia's journal in the form of collaged pages and scientific bird notes. A gentle reminder of the joy to be found in embracing adventure and expanding horizons.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
American redstart fledglings inspire a solitary child to befriend neighboring children in this kindhearted picture book. Though Amelia, who uses a wheelchair and reads as East Asian, is "a bit lonely," she avoids meeting the children who move in next door. "She just didn't think that she could./ Not anymore./ Not like she used to," and instead stays inside reading fantasy tales. But when a redstart lands on her windowsill and snatches a ribbon, Amelia becomes enraptured by the bird's efforts to build a nest, and then eagerly watches as two eggs produce chicks. Reading about the birds' epic migration makes her think, "If they can do it…// …perhaps so can I?"; she then ventures out, playing with a light-skinned boy and tan-skinned girl. Budisan's dreamy artwork employs a mix of pencil and watercolor techniques, creating a delicate effect that suits Nastro's quiet narration and its interweaving of natural elements. Ages 4--8. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--A lonely child finds courage and inspiration from birds to make new friends. Amelia, who presents as Asian, watches as two children move in next door. While her mother encourages her to approach them, Amelia fears that she won't be able to play "like she used to." On her porch one day, she watches a small bird pull a ribbon from her very own box of treasures and use it to build a nest in a nearby tree. Fascinated, Amelia learns the bird, now joined by another, is a redstart; she names the pair Penelope and Osiris. In her research, Amelia learns that their migration route takes them from the Appalachian Mountains all the way to the forests of Venezuela. As the birds practice flying and prepare for their flight, Amelia takes a journey of her own; readers then learn that she has avoided the use of a wheelchair. The following spreads depict Amelia and her neighbors Maggie and Peter playing in a wheelchair-accessible tree house, making snow angels, and more. Nastro's reflective, gentle text captures Amelia's thought process and growth, while interweaving facts about birds. Budisan's colorful pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are nothing short of stunning, depicting Amelia's emotions, her wonder toward the redstarts, and ultimate joy found in the company of new friends. Endpapers include quotes and facts about birds. VERDICT Inspirational and informative, this story is highly recommended for purchase for picture book collections.--Olivia Gorecke
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Birds inspire a girl to make new friends. When two children move in next door, Amelia doesn't go over to play despite being "a bit lonely." Because of an unspecified condition that requires her to use a manual wheelchair, she's afraid she can't play "like she used to." One day, a bird snatches a ribbon from her treasure box to pad its nest. Amelia names its chicks Penelope and Osiris and learns the birds are redstarts; their migration takes them "past the Appalachian Mountains, across the Gulf of Mexico to the Greater Antilles, over the Mayan ruins in the Yucatán to the mangrove forests in Venezuela." Amelia watches the chicks learn to fly. "If they can do it," she thinks, "perhaps so can I?" When the birds depart, Amelia makes her own brave journey. As she swings, plays in a wheelchair-accessible treehouse, and makes snow angels in a season-shifting montage interspersed with the redstarts' flight, she joyfully "soar[s] high in the sky just like the birds" with "her new friends, Peter and Maggie." Budisan's delicate but vivid pencil-and-watercolor illustrations subtly convey Amelia's emotions and lend a dreamlike feel to the redstarts' rhythmically described migration, quietly enhancing Nastro's simple, gently encouraging text. Fledgling ornithologists will particularly appreciate the notebook-style bird facts scattered across the endpapers. Maggie appears tan-skinned, while Peter is lighter-skinned. Amelia presents as Asian. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An uplifting tale of birds and bravery. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
