Bird House

A loving intergenerational relationship between a light brown–skinned narrator and their abuela is the heartening center of this tender narrative by author-illustrator Gómez. When the pair find an injured yellow bird in the winter, they nurse it back to health, keeping it indoors in a domed cage as it heals, and then release it into the city skies. But a special guest awaits in the spring—as does a surprise that Abuela has built just for the occasion. Abuela’s gentle wisdom takes center stage (“You are cured now, little bird, you have to fly free”) amid spare prose (“Snow melted into spring”). Detailed, richly colored paper collage and digital illustrations highlight appealing paper textures, lending dimension to domestic spreads featuring dot-eyed humans. A refreshing ending imparts a message of the significance of natural preservation and respecting animals’ agency. Ages 4–8. [em](Apr.) [/em]