Once, a Bird - by Rina Singh (Hardcover)

About the Book

In this wordless picture book, a bird emerges after winter to find the world has gone quiet. As she settles on a tree outside an apartment building, its residents notice her through their windows and find hope in her resilience and the continued rhythms of nature.

Book Synopsis

★"A very wise book, speaking volumes...Share this at story hours, or hand it to the child struggling to read; this communicates essential truths without a word. Marvelous."--School Library Journal, starred review

★"This sweet, understated story is wordless--a perfect way to tell it, as it requires youngsters to relate to the illustrations in a unique, profoundly personal way...Refreshing, beautiful, moving, and meaningful."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★"With cinematic fluidity, Dion's marvellous watercolor, gouache, and digital illustrations evocatively convey Singh's thoughtful wordless narrative...This multilayered wordless picture book has much to say about nature, renewal, and resiliency."--Booklist, starred review

Once, as the winter ended, a little bird emerged to find the world had gone quiet.

The streets were empty and the playgrounds still. Puzzled but determined, the bird explores the town in search of a suitable place to nest. The residents of an apartment building notice her resting in a tree outside and take comfort in her song. Watching through their windows, they look beyond their lives and pause to appreciate the wonders of nature. The bird chooses to make this community her home and builds a nest, an act of resilience and hope that inspires the humans to emerge as well, reminding them that natural rhythms continue, seasons change and life goes on. Once again.

This wordless picture book is a hopeful contemplation of our interconnectedness with the natural world and the joy that nature brings us, even in unusual times.

French version available, Il était une fois un oiseau.

Review Quotes

"Great for encouraging conversation...The reciprocal relationship between the bird and the residents shows the comfort nature and connection can bring...A cute, simple, book with an inspiring message."

-- "CM: Canadian Review of Materials"

"The charm of this wordless book is in the gouache, watercolor, and digital art through which the story and changing seasons unfold, and in the way it deftly captures the simple joy that a bird--and nature--offers young and old alike."-- "Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison"

"This book would be a good addition to a preschool or kindergarten class where children could use the illustrations to tell their own versions of the story. Older grade school students could use the book as a writing prompt to write and share the story of the robin. This book is also a great starting point to discuss how it feels to be lonely, especially during the winter, and how wonderful it is to be outside again in the spring."

-- "Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)"

"Illustrations are bursting with spring...This thoughtful interpretation of the change of season and of human connection presents a variety of characters to follow and details to consider, while the wordless aspect provides the necessary space to enjoy the book slowly and thoroughly."

-- "The Horn Book"

★"With cinematic fluidity, Dion's marvellous watercolor, gouache, and digital illustrations evocatively convey Singh's thoughtful wordless narrative...This multilayered wordless picture book has much to say about nature, renewal, and resiliency."

-- "Booklist, starred review"

★"A very wise book, speaking volumes...Share this at story hours, or hand it to the child struggling to read; this communicates essential truths without a word. Marvelous."

-- "School Library Journal, starred review"

★"This sweet, understated story is wordless--a perfect way to tell it, as it requires youngsters to relate to the illustrations in a unique, profoundly personal way...Refreshing, beautiful, moving, and meaningful."

-- "Kirkus Reviews, starred review"

About the Author

Rina Singh is an award-winning children's author who is drawn to real-life stories about the environment and social justice. Her critically acclaimed books include Grandmother School, winner of the 2021 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize; Diwali: A Festival of Lights, nominated for the Red Cedar Award; and 111 Trees, winner of the Social Justice Literature Award. Rina has an MFA in creative writing from Concordia University and a teaching degree from McGill University. She lives in Toronto.

Nathalie Dion is an award-winning children's book illustrator. Her picture book The Big Bad Wolf in My House (Le grand méchant loup dans ma maison) won the 2021 Prix Espiègle and was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award, the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award and the Harry Black Picture Book Award. Nathalie graduated from Concordia University in design arts. Her Intuos tablet and numeric paintbrushes are her favorite tools. Nathalie is based in Montreal.