This was a very cute animal story for children. I will make sure to purchase this story for my school and my library

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Barnaby is a bird who lives at home with his nice lady. One day she brings a new bird in and Barnaby is so mad he flies out the window and discovers how good he had it in that home.

Barnaby is a blue budgie who is living the life. He has a lovely cage with a jingly bell, plenty to eat, and an owner who loves him. He loves to sit on her shoulder for cuddles. When she brings home a canary as a friend for Barnaby, he is not happy. When his owner doesn't get rid of this "friend" despite, Barnaby throwing tantrums, he decides to leave and escapes out of an open window. He enjoys his freedom flying wherever he wants, but soon becomes hungry and wants to go home. He runs into some sparrows, who although drab in Barnaby's eyes, they take him in. They show him where to find food and water and show him how to search for his home. When he finally find his home, he brings a big red berry to the canary, just like the ones the sparrows shared with him. He finally accepts this new friend. This is a sweet story about acceptance of another. For children this could be a new sibling, a new neighbour or classmate that moves into their playgroup or "steals" their BFF. It also has that "grass is always greener" message as well. The illustrations are large, showing emotion with their soft and muted colours. My grandchildren and I talked about this and how did it feel when a new brother or sister came home with mommy and daddy. Of course they were sure they weren't upset at all, but I know better. A story I recommend.

This picture book takes the well-known storyline of a runaway pet and adds a message of community and exploration. Barnaby has a loving relationship with his owner, so when she brings home another bird, he is very upset. He exhibits some negative behavior and is put into his cage with a blanket over it. The next day, he takes the opportunity to fly out of an open window. At first, he and birds in the wild do not get along. He shuns them and they leave him alone. Eventually, he makes a connection through food and flying. After a while, he starts thinking of returning to his home. The illustrations emphasize soothing browns and reds, with Barnaby standing out on each page with his vibrant blue and white coloring. This would be a good book for parents/caregivers to use when discussing difficult feelings with young children.

This review is based on reading the published book. Thank you to Owlkids Books and NetGalley for the e-galley.
My reviews and ratings are my own.

Barnaby is a blue budgie who really has it made- a lovely cage with a jingly bell, plenty to eat, and an owner who loves him, and lets him sit on her shoulder for cuddles. When the owner brings home a "friend" for Barnaby, a yellow canary, Barnaby is not happy. He throws tantrums, he ignores the canary, and is mean to it. When his obvious displeasure fails to convince his owner to get rid of this interloper, Barnaby makes a break for it and flies out the window. At first he enjoys his freedom, being able to fly where he wants, but soon he is lost and hungry, and doesn't know what to do. He encounters some sparrows when he stops to rest, and at first is wary of these drab birds, but they show him kindness by sharing their food and showing him where to find water, and soon his is welcomed in their flock. He learns many things from them, most importantly a better way to search for his house, which he misses very much. When he does find his home, he bring a big red berry to the canary, like the ones the sparrows shared with him. The story is sweet, and is an easily recognizable metaphor for a child having to deal with the emotional stress of a new sibling. It also works well just as it is- I've seen a beloved pet African Grey parrot go completely meltdown toddler when a new "friend" parrot was introduced to the household! He was not happy at all! The illustrations are soft and beautiful, and the text is just lovely. Recommended.

#Barnaby #NetGalley

Barnaby is a bird in a cage. While treated well, he resents the addition of a new friend and runs away. He learns to get along in the real world, but it is only once he finds home again, that he realizes how precious it is. This book is expected but just feels really sad.

Barnaby. By Andrea Curtis, Illustrator: Kass Reich. 2021. Owlkids Books (ARC eBook).

Barnaby, a blue budgie, becomes jealous when his owner brings home a fluffy yellow canary to be his friend. In response, Barnaby flies though an open window and away. But then when he finds himself in the wild he learns that it is good to have friends around. A sweet “there’s no place like home” story with lovely illustrations.

Barnaby, a beautiful blue budgie, lives with a nice lady who feeds him "sunflower seeds and sweet mangos." He spends most of his time in a golden cage with activities there to entertain him. When the nice lady gets home, he is released from his cage to fly about the house. Barnaby enjoys his treats and "nuzzling his feathers against her neck."

Life seems sublime, but then the nice lady brings home a yellow budgie to be a friend for Barnaby. Barnaby is not impressed. He acts out and is punished. When he is next allowed out of his cage, Barnaby flies out the window.

Out in the wide world Barnaby ends up lost. Luckily he is befriended by a flock of birds who show him how to survive in the wild. He learns to be less self centered and begins to see beauty in the world around him. Still, he did not forget his kind lady and continued to search for his old home.

At first I saw Barnaby's reaction to the new budgie as something akin to the jealousy of an older sibling when a new baby enters the family. On the surface, it certainly seems like that. The behaviour parallels are genuine. Like in families, after a few initial issues, older children learn to love their baby siblings.

The thing is, I had a hard time with the fact that Barnaby was in a cage. I can't imagine keeping a dog or cat inside a cage while I am at work. Even the guinea pig we once owned had free range of our house. My discomfort lingered days after I finished reading this book. No matter how gilded it was, or how kind the lady was, it was still a cage. What if Barnaby wasn't so much upset at having a new sibling, as he was at having this new bird also kept in a cage? Barnaby's escape, and the help he had from a community of birds to live with that freedom, feels like an important message to me about how we humans can help each other get out of our own cages.

I liked this book a lot. I like that it made me think much more than I expected it to. I like that Barnaby grew and developed to become a better 'person' through his adventures. I like that the ending leaves me wondering what Barnaby is planning. I like that I'm left with all kinds of questions about what home and freedom mean.

I loved Kass Reich's artwork. It is serenely beautiful. I can imagine hanging a print or two on my walls. I searched the internet to find out more about her process. Here is what I learned: "She does a majority of her work by hand using acrylic and watercolour paint, adding further details in Photoshop. She makes a point to preserve all the charming imperfections that come with illustration done by hand. she works primarily with graphite, colored pencils and gouache." She states, "I use graphite for work in grayscale and gouache paint layered with colored pencil for my work in color. The more texture the better!"

I hope all readers find this picture book as fascinating as I did. I sure wish I had a group of students to read this with.

I don't know if this new book Barnaby, by Andrea Curtis and illustrated by Kass Reich could be any sweeter.

Barnaby the Budgie loves his life with his owner, the lady with the red hair. But when she brings home a second bird to join them? Heck no! An angry Barnaby escapes and takes off on his own adventure.

When a group of wild birds takes him under their wing, he learns the importance of kindness, and sees the beauty in things -- and creatures -- that he once thought to be dull.

I'm partial to bird Illustrations lately, but honestly, I just adore Kass Reich's artwork in this book. The tones, the sweeter than candy birds.. it's all beautiful and flows along with the poetic and rhythmic text by Curtis. I could see this being a great read aloud and opportunity to discuss kindness to new siblings, classmates, and being inclusive.

A great new book by Owl Kids! Happy book birthday, and thanks to #netgalley for the digital ARC copy.

Recommended ages 3-7

Cute illustrations follow the tale of Barnaby as he learns a lesson in dealing with change. Bird lovers will also find a lot to enjoy about this story.

This is a charming book with value ale lessons for children that might be really helpful for a child that may feel resentful of a new baby or step sibling out into animal form. Also for bird lovers. The art work is just lovely and the story is very engaging and relatable.

Barnaby by Andrea Curtis is a picturebook currently scheduled for release on April 15 2021. Barnaby is a blue budgie who’s got it all: a golden cage, bells to jingle-jangle, and an owner who gives him all the snacks and attention he wants. Until his owner brings home a “friend” for Barnaby: a little yellow canary. Barnaby is not happy. When his tantrums don’t convince his owner to get rid of the canary, Barnaby flies away and ends up hopelessly lost. While stopping for a rest, he encounters a flock of wild sparrows. At first, he looks down his beak at the drab, brown birds. But, growing hungrier and thirstier, he realizes he has a lot to learn from them. Soon Barnaby is a part of their flock, scavenging for seeds and riding on the wind. But Barnaby can’t forget his former home, and every night he searches for his owner’s house using tricks the sparrows taught him. Finally, he finds it, and Barnaby returns home a changed bird. With subtle messages about sibling rivalry and jealousy, readers will enjoy Barnaby’s antics and the sweet conclusion to this story.

Barnaby is a well written picturebook on several levels. On the surface it is about a bird having an adventure after not liking changes in his home. But it is also about jealousy, giving others a chance, and adapting to change. I loved the art work- and think the style and colors were exactly what the story needed. It was also enjoyable to look on its on merit, not jut as part of a story. Combined with the words the two come together to tell a larger story than either could alone. I think this book is a lovely read, and that many adults and young readers will enjoy it. It could also be used to start discussions about sharing, sibling rivalry, and other changes in school or family dynamic that introduce new people to a group.

Barnaby feels displaced and runs away from home. He gets lost, makes new friends, and learns a few things. The fun colorful illustrations are absolutely delightful! No age grouping necessary. Maybe get one for the local library, too!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Owlkids Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Excellent read-aloud! The illustrations are bright, but not too bright, which makes it great for a pre-nap or bedtime book as well.

This is the story of Barnaby who desires an adventure away from home - this desire stems from a new unwanted companion. Barnaby learns a lot while on his adventure; the most important lesson learned is the importance of home.

When a small blue budgie needs to make room for a new bird to join his little flock, things don’t go so well. Barnaby, by Andrea Curtis and Kass Reich, is a lovely little story about making room for new friends.

When the new yellow bird comes home with the lady with the red hair, Barnaby is instantly jealous and lets everyone know. He gets so mad that he flies away, thinking he would be happier on his own. When he encounters a flock of dull, brown birds he’s sceptical at first but he learns from them how to be part of a flock and how to be a good friend.

The writing is beautiful and breathy, just like the flight of the bird on the wind. I love the descriptive text, it gives readers a clear picture of the setting of the story. You wouldn’t even need the illustrations to know exactly what everything looks like because of the beautiful text.

The illustrations are incredible. Kass Reich is one of our favourite illustrators, her work is distinctive and bold and so inviting. In Barnaby, the distinction between Barnaby and the other birds is stark, you can’t miss the little blue budgie out in the wild. The birds are expressive, animated and realistic, you can tell Kass Reich has spent time observing and studying birds.

This is a beautifully illustrated story with a charming narrative. Barnaby does not do well with change, but sometimes there are lessons to be learned when we least expect them,

Barnaby is a precious pre-reader story about a house bird who runs away only to find that there's no place like home.

Sound familiar...? It's a trope that's rather tired in its telling, but this is a clever tale all the same. I requested a copy because we love birds. My 2 and 4 yr old boys weren't particularly interested in this one, there isn't much action. The concept of arrogance still goes over their heads so the message is lost on them. The story doesn't rhyme and only teaches about the birds--there's no "find-its," no abc/123 teaching opportunities, no extra info about what it's like to own a bird.

The illustration is beautiful, beautiful!!!!!

Thank you NetGalley and OwlKids books for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a beautiful book! The pictures are absolutely lovely, with very appealing landscapes and adorable birds. I LOVE parakeets, and this book captures how cute they are and what distinct and delightful personalities they have, including both their mischievousness and affectionateness. When the worst happens (at least for a parakeet owner) and Barnaby escapes, I was very happy that he not only had great experiences with the wild birds he came to befriend, but also that he found his way home, with a totally heartwarming ending. I loved this book and only will buy it for my library and read it in storytime, but I'll also buy copies for the grandchildren--and maybe one to keep for myself too! Many thanks to Owlkids Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this charming book. Can't wait for it to come out!

I thought Barnaby was a cute story with a great message. I would absolutely utilize this story in my classroom. It hits the standards of character development, plot, and theme. I love the message and journey that Barnaby goes on when things don't seem to go his way. He shows great character development and undergoes a major shift as he learns the lesson of what home is at the end of the story.