"Does laying eggs make a bird?
And if it hatches from an egg,
is that why it's a bird?
A snake might disagree.
Or a platypus.
Or a fish,
a lizard,
a turtle."
Who knew how difficult it could be to define a bird? Megan Pomper did. Her gorgeous debut picture book invites readers and listeners to think seriously on the titular question. The child narrator, garbed in green and blue-jay blue, and equipped with a backpack and binoculars, is clearly very interested in knowing what makes a bird.
Is it feathers? Is it a beak? If so, can they all be different? Wait! An octopus has a beak. Does that make it a bird, too? How about wings? Birds have wings; bees also have wings. It must be that birds lay eggs. Hmmm! What about flying? Of course, birds fly. Except for penguins, emus, ostriches, kiwis, and penguins.
"And what if a bird that can fly
breaks a wing? If it can't fly anymore,
does it stop being a bird?"
What does make a bird? So many things to consider. The boy even wonders, if he closes his eyes, would what he sees be the same as what another sees when they think about birds? Might he see a bird that has not yet been discovered? In the end, he decides that it doesn't really matter what makes a bird.
The questions are thoughtful and remarkable in their ability to encourage readers to consider the essence of a bird. I would love to be with kids, or in a classroom, to see how much further a conversation could lead if considering ourselves as humans. Ultimately, who decides that?
Maia Hoekstra's energetic illustrations swirl with movement and perspective changes to show a variety of birds and their surroundings. They hold the reader's attention and offer opportunities for refreshing discussion. Back matter provides thumbnail sketches and the name of each of the bird species pictured, and includes an invitation for readers to name three imaginary birds.
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