The Sleepy Songbird

by Suzanne Barton

Overview

Peep awakes one morning to the sound of beautiful birdsong—but where is it coming from?

It's the Dawn Chorus! And Peep wants to sing with them. But despite trying his hardest, Peep realizes he doesn't quite fit in with the other birds in the chorus. Little does Peep know, he's about to meet someone who will show him how special being a nightingale can be . . .

A heartfelt story about finding the beauty in what makes us different, this debut picture book is exceptionally illustrated by exciting new author-illustrator Suzanne Barton.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802736482
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/23/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Suzanne Barton has long desired to write and illustrate her own books for children—and when her work was spotted at a book fair, her dream became reality. Her art is a beautiful combination of collage, drawing and painting, and her love of patterns and prints often sends her searching through vintage paper shops for inspiration. The Sleepy Songbird is Suzanne's picture book debut.

www.suzannebarton.co.uk
@suzannebarton0

Editorial Reviews

11/09/2015
Barton (A Guide to Sisters), working in a palette of warm autumnal hues, embellishes plump songbirds with collaged patterned paper and represents birdsong with decorative, ribbonlike flourishes. One bird, Peep, hears beautiful singing at daybreak and searches the forest for its source. “Is that your wonderful song?” he asks a mouse clinging to stalks of dried grass. “Not mine,” the mouse replies. At last Peep arrives at a tree full of birds—it’s the Dawn Chorus, an official choir of birds with a conductor (“Our song lets everyone know that it’s the start of a new day”). Peep wants to audition, but he sleeps through one audition and yawns his way through a second; he’s a reject. Discouraged, he sings softly by himself that evening, finds a companion to sing with, and learns that he’s a nightingale—he’s meant to sing at night, and beautifully, at that. Barton’s where-do-I-fit story introduces the idea that unconventional behavior is not always due to a failure of will—sometimes it has a rational explanation. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"A lovely addition about celebrating difference." - School Library Journal

"A nice story to explain that we all have our own place and talent. Recommended." - School Library Journal

"Illustrator Barton offers lyrical passages set against an eclectic mixture of artistic imagery to tell a charming story about self-discovery in her authorial debut. . . An empowering story about the value of individuality." - Booklist

"Barton’s where-do-I-fit story introduces the idea that unconventional behavior is not always due to a failure of will—sometimes it has a rational explanation." - Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

04/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—Little Peep awakens from sleep in the forest to a beautiful song. He first asks an owl if it has been singing and then asks a mouse. A frog directs him to a "tree full of birds…all singing!" Peep asks to join this "Dawn Chorus" and is told that he must audition the next day. He practices, oversleeps, and misses the audition. He practices more, sleeps through the next day, and realizes that he is better suited to join the nightingales. Each element of the whimsical collage, drawings, and watercolor illustrations is beautiful, distinctively arranged against a spare background. The premise that Peep must audition in order to sing in the chorus is a bit off-putting and counter to the efforts of early childhood practitioners, who know the value of children singing early and often. However, the fact that Peep finds his voice and his place to shine is indeed gratifying. VERDICT A lovely addition about celebrating difference.—Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI

School Library Journal

2015-11-03
A small bird named Little Peep wants to join the other birds singing at sunrise, but he discovers that he isn't an early riser. As Peep flits through a delicate landscape of abstract collaged shapes, he encounters various advisers—owl, mouse, frog—who tell him that the beautiful sound he is hearing is the Dawn Chorus. Sadly, however, he has arrived too late to join in, and the glorious song is over. The conductor invites him to audition the next day, but, alas, he is too late again. Given a second chance, he gets there in time, but due to late-night practicing, all he can do is yawn. Feeling sad, he starts to sing at dusk and hears another bird singing who looks just like him. Amazed, he asks the mystery bird why he can only sing in the evening. The answer is that they are both nightingales, a European bird that only sings at night. The rather thin narrative is weakened on this side of the Atlantic by the fact that the plot hinges on the behavior of a bird that most American children will never see. Educational value is limited by the naively decorative appearance of all the birds, as the "nightingales" don't look very much different from the other diurnal species. This sleepy narrative doesn't ever really wake up. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews