In this inspiring debut picture book, a white feathered hero feels invisible--until he discovers that what he thought was a drawback is, in fact, an asset.
Yerkes outlines the bird with a swash of color at the neckline or a hint of shadow under the wing. The eye of the onlooker connects the dots. "Once there was a funny little bird," the tale begins. The feathered hero's full, round eye peers out as he stands firmly on his purple feet. He is as invisible to other birds as he is to readers. However, "when he was seen, others made fun of him." When a "magnificent bird" ignores the hero, it leaves behind some red curling feathers. The invisible hero gets an idea, and begins to create a makeshift costume of that red feather, snap pea–green curling vines, and other attractive accoutrements. But when he starts to be seen, the formerly invisible bird begins to "show off." His preening attracts a fox. Yerkes depicts the fox in midair, all mouth and front paws, and the bird's eye resembles a spiral, while feathers, wings and legs go akimbo. Without his makeshift costume, the bird is once again invisible--and soon discovers he can camouflage his friends like an invisibility cloak.
Yerkes reveals signs of seasonal change to mirror her hero's metamorphosis: a butterfly emerges from its cocoon and a squash ripens, as the bird finds a way to express himself in his own way. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness