The Song of Spring
Written and illustrated by Hendrik
Jonas
Prestel Publishing Ltd., 2019
As spring arrives, all the birds
are singing and attracting bird friends in “The Song of Spring.” All except one little bird who can’t remember
his song of spring.
But he wants a friend too, so he cries
out, “woof.” Instead of a bird friend, a dog answers. The little bird is disappointed,
but the dog encourages him to “have another go.”
He tries again, but this time it
comes out, “oink,” and he attracts a pig.
The story continues as little bird calls
a cow, a cat, a goat, and a donkey. The animals can't figure out what little bird should do.
Finally, a pretty girl bird shows
up looking for a friend. All the animals rejoice, especially little bird who
flies to her side as he realizes he’s found not only one friend, but many.
Even though this picture book was
originally written in German, it reads smoothly and makes a fun read-aloud for adults
to read to youngsters.
The illustrations are bold and
funny, like the story. The animals are rendered with expressive faces as they
show sympathy to little bird and climb around in a tree.
About the Author-illustrator
Hendrik Jonas is a Berlin-based illustrator whose work has appeared
in The Times and The Guardian. This is his third children’s book.
