Little Bird has a broken wing so she can't join her friends flying south for the winter. Wherever will she find shelter? The adorable protagonist goes from tree to tree trying to find someone who will let her shelter in their branches. While she explores, children will learn the names of tree species and they may also spy some other woodland creatures on the pages.

This is a short little book (great for wiggly listeners) that retells a tale believed to have been shared by the Anishanaabe group of indigenous people of North America. The book closes with a brief explanation of bird migration and the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees.

I loved the bright colors and the animated style of the illustrations. Children will delight in the satisfying conclusion to Little Bird's search and learn a valuable lesson about kindness. It would be fun to follow up with a nature hike to find the trees from the book. I recommend this sweet little tale as a read-aloud for ages 2-5.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Once Upon a Time...There Was a Little Bird from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

Intertext time!

For you readers that don't know what Intertexts are, it's when we re-tell a classic tale and put a little spin on it. Once Upon a Time... There was a Little Bird is a re-telling of a classic tale of compassion, typically with Indigenous People in North America. There are many versions of this story hopping around (pun intended), so this is just a new iteration with some lovely pictures to boot!

This is a story of kindness and compassion. Our little bird friend just wants a home in a tree. Is that too much to ask? So many trees don't show kindness to the little bird, with each having their own reason on why they can't help out (some of which seem completely unreasonable). It shows themes of being kind to others and others will be kind to you. It's the whole "treat others the way you want to be treated" line we tell kids. It's an important lesson, and this book does it justice.

Also, the illustrations are STUNNING. I like how classic they feel and how exciting and engaging they are.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and DK Publishing for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Loved reading this series. The beautiful illustrations by Maja Andersen really enhance the words, giving it so much depth. This one, a kindness tale about a bird who needs to find shelter for the winter, has a clear problem and solution. Perfect for young readers.


With a board book format, they'd be a great intro point for fables/moral/lesson in the early classroom.

I would have liked a little more information about where in North America the Anishinaabe tribe is located as they are credited as the possible origin of this story.

That said this was a great story about how kindness is a gift that benefits the giver and the receiver. The illustrations were colorful and engaging. The story was short and simple with a clear message.

'A Little Bird' is the retelling of a tale about kindness, suspected to have begun with an American Indian tribe. The bird has a broken wing so it can't fly south to warmer climates with its fellows, and asks different trees for shelter.

Of course, some of the trees are arrogant, impatient, or dismissive; not caring about the needs of a little bird. The oak tree seems most ridiculous because it claims Little Bird would eat all of its acorns...while a squirrel sits on a branch holding one.

The evergreen trees offer shelter and food, and welcome Little Bird with kindness. As autumn progresses and winds blow, the leaves fall off other trees, but evergreens retain theirs.

I was happy to see that there was no judgement. It just seemed that "nature" rewarded kindness!

SPOILER:
At the end, illustrations were labeled to explain migration, where North America is, deciduous trees versus evergreens, and identified the trees in the story.

As expected, this DK book has colorful, attractive illustrations.

The story is educational, eventful, and offers the chance for the reader to use different voices (as the trees and bird), which is always popular with kids! And there's a sweet, snuggly little bird sleeping in a kind tree at the end!

This book would make a lovely gift for any kind person you know, for people who love birds, cultural stories, or for any home with children.

5/5 Stars

Many thanks to DK and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book!

#OnceUponATimetherewasaLittleBird #NetGalley

This is a nice short tale about a bird who cannot migrate south because of a broken wing. The story revolves around this bird seeking somewhere to overwinter. The story is based on an indigenous story and is a good way to introduce young children to bird migration and different types of trees. Nicely illustrated.

I received an electronic ARC from DK Publishing through NetGalley.
Another book in the series on myths and legends from around the world. This legend most likely comes from the Anishinaabe people from North America. It tells the story of why some trees keep their leaves all year long. A bird had a broken wing and could not fly south with the others. It sought shelter from several types of trees and was rejected. As the weather turned colder, the spruce, juniper and pine trees offered shelter, food and a place to sing and be itself. After this, the spirits blew the leaves off the other trees but rewarded the kindness of the evergreen ones.
Lovely way to introduce legends and talk about science and how people explained nature in the past.

This book was not what I was expecting. A little bird with a broken wing can not fly south for the winter and must find shelter. But most of the trees don’t want to help, until the bird finds the evergreens. Apparently this is an indigenous tale that explains why some trees lose their leaves. I like that the book gives a bit of history of the tale, but I find it odd, it does not list an author in the pages. I wonder if that is because the tale is being told by a non-indigenous person? I like this story, but think it would be better if it was told and illustrated like the indigenous story it says it is.

This lovingly illustrated small book retells a First Nations lore about why the Juniper, Pine, and Spruce trees are evergreen. Very fine.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from DK Books/DK Children illustrated by Maja Andersen via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is a sweet little board book based on an Indigenous story. It is beautifully illustrated and teaches about kindness and compassion.

A little bird with a broken wing cannot join the others in the flock as they fly south for the winter. Staying behind, she knows she must find shelter to survive the freezing cold weather. She asks several trees that are big, strong and have plenty of leaves if they would shelter her and they tell her no.

The cold wind starts blowing and it begins to snow. The sad little bird is beginning to worry that she might never find a safe place to stay.

She hears some empathic kind voices calling to her to come and shelter in their branches. The spruce, juniper and pine tree gladly welcome her to stay with them. She procures a cozy nook, food for her to eat and a safe space where she can sing and celebrate her new found winter home. As she looks out beyond her branches she discovers that the trees with their glorious leaves that refused her are now bare and she is nestled in her greenery safe and taken care of.

This short board book is a perfect bedtime story and explains why evergreen trees stay green all winter so they can show kindness. I love this tender story and I highly recommend it.

A beautiful illustrated children's book about a little bird looking for shelter. Each tree gives a reason for not giving shelter until one tree welcomes the little bird safety. Many lessons to learn from little bird that teaches compassion and kindness.

A special thank you to DK Children and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Once Upon A Time... there was a Little Bird was delightful. The art is stunning and very unique. The overall tone felt cozy and comforting(perfect for a bedtime story). The info page about different types of trees at the end helped tie the story together for my kids. We loved it.

This was a cute story. I loved the message and the illustrations were very well done. Highly recommend this book.

Little Bird has broken her wing and can't fly south for the winter with her friends. She has to find shelter, but will any trees offer her a safe place to rest? This charming retelling of a Native American tale of why evergreen trees keep their leaves in winter teaches children about the importance of being kind and sharing.

I didn't read the blurb before requesting.... I know, I know, but after seeing that this was a retelling of a Native American tale, I was actually pretty impressed with the result. I liked the colorful illustrations and the story.
I think the length of the book makes it a good read for a young reader. The appeal seems to be geared more toward the young reader than the middle grade, but I could be wrong there. Ultimately, a good addition to a school or classroom library (or a home library ;))

This is an adorable board book based on a Indigenous story about why some trees keep their leaves. The illustrations are lovely and the story teaches of kindness.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. It's time for little bird to fly south with her friends but her wing is broken and can't make the trip. Where will she go to stay warm in the winter months?

A tiny tale possibly from the Anishinabe tribe to explain why evergreen trees keep their 'leaves' for their act of kindness. Utterly adorable. It pulled on my empathetic heartstrings (I was getting ready to cry if the book had been longer) and delighted my eyeballs with its charming artwork - and there are semi-hidden animals to find.

This short book tells the fable of a little bird with a broken wing you cannot fly south for the winter. The evergreen trees show her kindness and provide shelter for her, and that is why these trees do not lose their leaves in the winter. The folktale comes from the Native Americans and the last couple pages of the book offer facts about the area and the trees mentioned in the story.

The artwork in the book is vivid and colorful, sure to catch any child's attention and imagination.

Recommended for children who enjoy animals, nature, and science.

I received this ARC from #netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can definitely see myself buying a copy of this book about a Little Bird and her search for shelter. I think my younger students would enjoy the colorful pictures. I also appreciate the fact that this is an old tale from Anishinaabe, a group of Indigenous Peoples that live in North America. I was a bit surprised to learn that the bird chose the Spruce tree over the other evergreen trees. Spruce trees are pokey! Ouch. However, this little fact would be a great starting point for an open-ended book discussion with young students.

I do have one criticism. The language is too advanced for most beginning readers. A teacher will definitely need to read the story and explain the meaning of some words to younger students. Older elementary students would be able to read the words with little to no difficulty, but they might believe it's a "baby book" because of the book design.

That's not a deal-breaker for me, though. I'd buy it and make it work.

Such a cute book with great illustrations! It shows that kindness is best, and you get rewarded by life for being kind.