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{{short description|2008 picture book by Zetta Elliott}} |
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'''''Bird''''', written by [ |
'''''Bird''''', written by [[Zetta Elliott]] and illustrated by Shadra Strickland, is a [[picture book]] written in 2008.<ref name="Bird">{{Cite web|url=http://www.zettaelliott.com/book/bird/|title=Bird|date=2008-05-01|website=Zetta Elliott|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-09}}</ref> It won the New Voices Award Honor from its publishing company [[Lee & Low Books]] Incorporation.<ref name=":0">[https://www.leeandlow.com/books/bird Lee & Low Books]</ref> |
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== Background & Setting == |
== Background & Setting == |
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[[File:Zetta Elliott 2021.png|thumb|left|100px|Zetta Elliot]] |
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Zetta Elliot is a poet, author, and obtained a doctorate degree in [[American Studies]] from [[NYU]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.zettaelliott.com/bio/|title=Bio|date=2014-03-27|website=Zetta Elliott|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-09}}</ref> |
Zetta Elliot is a poet, author, and obtained a doctorate degree in [[American Studies]] from [[NYU]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.zettaelliott.com/bio/|title=Bio|date=2014-03-27|website=Zetta Elliott|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-09}}</ref> She wrote ''Bird'' as a short story in 2006 before working with illustrator Shadra Strickland to turn it into a picture book in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Langley|first=Greg|title=Elliott didn't give up on Bird despite long wait for publication|date=October 19, 2008|work=The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)}}</ref> It is her first publication, and has won many awards.<ref name=":0" /> ''Bird'' is an African American story that contains elements of African folklore and touches on death and mental illness. |
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== Plot Summary == |
== Plot Summary == |
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The book narrates the story of a young black boy named |
The book narrates the story of a young black boy named Mehkai. His nickname is Bird, given to him by his Grandad. However, when his granddad passes away, Mehkai grows close to his grandad's best friend named Uncle Son. Together they go to the park, feed pigeons, tell stories, and drink coffee.Bird loves to draw to remember and better understand things in his life. His favorite thing to draw is, of course, birds. Flashing back in time, Bird describes his brother Marcus who was a graffiti artist that taught him to draw. However, Marcus introduces difficulties to the plot by becoming distant and showing signs of drug abuse. Bird doesn't quite understand what is happening to his brother and wants to spend more time with him, but Marcus is adamant in telling Bird to continue to go to school. One day, Bird finds Marcus in bed showing withdrawal symptoms. He is confused and worried for his [[brother]]. Marcus lessens his appearance at the house and one day robs the house of its expensive belongings. His father explains to Bird that Marcus is suffering from a sickness and that he is no longer allowed home. Bird finds it difficult to obey his parents and speaks to Marcus at the front door when their parents aren't home. Turning to Granddad for advice, Bird learns that "'some broken things can't be fixed". When Marcus passes away and Granddad shortly after, Uncle Son and Bird begin to go to the park every week. During these outings, Bird learns to find peace with the loss of his brother and his Grandfather, and he continues to draw in hopes to learn from his experiences and never forget.<ref name=":0" /> |
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== Characters == |
== Characters == |
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* '''Mehkai (Bird)-''' The main character and narrator of the story, also known as Bird by his Grandad. |
* '''Mehkai (Bird)-''' The main character and narrator of the story, also known as Bird by his Grandad. |
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* '''Uncle Son-''' The best friend of Mehkai's Grandad, and a companion to Mehkai when his Grandad passes away. |
* '''Uncle Son-''' The best friend of Mehkai's Grandad, and a philosophical companion to Mehkai when his Grandad passes away. |
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*''' |
*'''Grandad-''' Mehkai's Grandfather and a mentor to Mehkai. He passes away at the end of the book. |
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*'''Marcus-''' He is Bird's older brother and someone that Bird looks up to. However, he struggles with a drug addiction that leads to his death at the end of the book. |
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*'''Mama-''' Bird's mother that does not appear often in the book. She remains very worried about Marcus throughout the story. |
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*'''Mama-''' Bird's mother |
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*'''Papa-''' Bird's father.<ref name=":0" /> |
*'''Papa-''' Bird's father.<ref name=":0" /> |
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== Themes == |
== Themes == |
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Diversity & Race<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Elliott|first=Zetta|date=2008-01-01|title=Bird|url=https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1733|journal=Diverse Families}}</ref> |
Themes included are Diversity & Race due to it being an African American story.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Elliott|first=Zetta|date=2008-01-01|title=Bird|url=https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1733|journal=Diverse Families}}</ref> Other themes include Empathy & Compassion,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.leeandlow.com/books/bird/teachers_guide|title=Teacher's Guide - Bird {{!}} Lee & Low Books|website=www.leeandlow.com|access-date=2020-04-20}}</ref> Coping with Death and Grief,<ref name=":2" /> and Adolescent Issues.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Basile|first=Donna M.|date=2008|title=Children's Book Review|journal=International Journal of Multicultural Education|volume=10|pages=1–2}}</ref> |
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Family<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.leeandlow.com/books/bird/teachers_guide|title=Teacher's Guide - Bird {{!}} Lee & Low Books|website=www.leeandlow.com|access-date=2020-04-20}}</ref> |
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Empathy & Compassion<ref name=":2" /> |
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* The International Journal of Multicultural Education looks at the gender dynamics, language, and audience. While praising the authenticity of the book, Basile reviews the lack of female portrayal in Bird's life, while typically it is the male figure that is absent in African American families. In regard to language, the reviewer writes "Urban African Americans are often seen as using a fair amount of ‘Ebonics’ and family-rich endearments to make their voices known. The author includes very few words of African American dialect and hence makes this a story appear too cleaned up.” While questioning gender and language, the author praises the author's attempt to connect to a wider audience.<ref name=":3" /> |
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Coping with Death<ref name=":2" /> |
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* Kirkus Book Reviews praises ''Bird'', "With unusual depth and raw conviction, Elliott’s child-centered narrative excels in this debut."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/zetta-elliott/bird-2/|title=BIRD {{!}} Kirkus Reviews|language=en}}</ref> |
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* "In a promising debut for both Elliott and Strickland, this picture book tells a poignant story about a boy whose loving family, friends and a gift for drawing help him navigate difficult emotions surrounding the deaths of his grandfather and drug-addicted brother. A complicated weaving of impressive watercolor, gouache, charcoal and ink drawings amplifies the metaphors and action of the poetic text as it combines black-and-white with color," states Publishers Weekly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-60060-241-2|title=Children's books review: Bird|website=www.publishersweekly.com|access-date=2020-04-21}}</ref> |
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African American Interest <ref name=":2" /> |
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University of Central Florida Showcase of Text, Archives, Research, & Scholarship (STARS) states "Bird is a touching look at a young boy coping with real-life troubles. Readers will be heartened by Bird’s quiet resilience, and moved by the healing power of putting pencil to paper"<ref name=":1" />. |
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=== Awards === |
=== Awards === |
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''Bird'' won the [[Lee & Low Books|Lee & Low]] New Voices Honor Award, an award given by the publishers of the book<ref name=":0" /> |
''Bird'' won the [[Lee & Low Books|Lee & Low]] New Voices Honor Award, an award given by the publishers of the book.<ref name=":0" /> Other major awards include the [[Coretta Scott King Award]]/[[John Steptoe Award for New Talent]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/161/all_years|title=Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent {{!}} Awards & Grants|website=www.ala.org|access-date=2020-04-19}}</ref> and the [[Ezra Jack Keats]] New Illustrator Award for Shadra Strickland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/ejk-awards/2009-ejk-book-awards/|title=2009 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award Winners {{!}} The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation|website=www.ezra-jack-keats.org|access-date=2020-04-19}}</ref> Additional honors includes the Best of 2008 ''Kirkus Reviews'' (& starred review), 2009 ALA Notable Children's Book, [[Bank Street College of Education|Bank Street College]] Best Children's Book 2009, 2009 Paterson Prize for Book for Young Readers, and 2011 West Virginia Children's Choice Book Award.<ref name="Bird"/> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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<references /> |
<references /> |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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{{Portal|Children's literature}} |
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* [http://www.zettaelliott.com/book/bird/ Website] |
* [http://www.zettaelliott.com/book/bird/ Website] |
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[[Category:2008 books]] |
[[Category:2008 children's books]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:American picture books]] |
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[[Category:Children's books about death]] |
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{{catimprove|date=March 2020}} |
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{{picture-book-stub}} |
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Revision as of 19:57, 6 October 2023
 | |
| Author | Zetta Elliott |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Shadra Strickland |
| Published | 2008 |
| Publisher | Lee & Low Books |
| Awards | New Voices Award Honor |
Bird, written by Zetta Elliott and illustrated by Shadra Strickland, is a picture book written in 2008.[1] It won the New Voices Award Honor from its publishing company Lee & Low Books Incorporation.[2]
Background & Setting
Zetta Elliot is a poet, author, and obtained a doctorate degree in American Studies from NYU.[3] She wrote Bird as a short story in 2006 before working with illustrator Shadra Strickland to turn it into a picture book in 2008.[4] It is her first publication, and has won many awards.[2] Bird is an African American story that contains elements of African folklore and touches on death and mental illness.
Plot Summary
The book narrates the story of a young black boy named Mehkai. His nickname is Bird, given to him by his Grandad. However, when his granddad passes away, Mehkai grows close to his grandad's best friend named Uncle Son. Together they go to the park, feed pigeons, tell stories, and drink coffee.Bird loves to draw to remember and better understand things in his life. His favorite thing to draw is, of course, birds. Flashing back in time, Bird describes his brother Marcus who was a graffiti artist that taught him to draw. However, Marcus introduces difficulties to the plot by becoming distant and showing signs of drug abuse. Bird doesn't quite understand what is happening to his brother and wants to spend more time with him, but Marcus is adamant in telling Bird to continue to go to school. One day, Bird finds Marcus in bed showing withdrawal symptoms. He is confused and worried for his brother. Marcus lessens his appearance at the house and one day robs the house of its expensive belongings. His father explains to Bird that Marcus is suffering from a sickness and that he is no longer allowed home. Bird finds it difficult to obey his parents and speaks to Marcus at the front door when their parents aren't home. Turning to Granddad for advice, Bird learns that "'some broken things can't be fixed". When Marcus passes away and Granddad shortly after, Uncle Son and Bird begin to go to the park every week. During these outings, Bird learns to find peace with the loss of his brother and his Grandfather, and he continues to draw in hopes to learn from his experiences and never forget.[2]
Characters
- Mehkai (Bird)- The main character and narrator of the story, also known as Bird by his Grandad.
- Uncle Son- The best friend of Mehkai's Grandad, and a philosophical companion to Mehkai when his Grandad passes away.
- Grandad- Mehkai's Grandfather and a mentor to Mehkai. He passes away at the end of the book.
- Marcus- He is Bird's older brother and someone that Bird looks up to. However, he struggles with a drug addiction that leads to his death at the end of the book.
- Mama- Bird's mother
- Papa- Bird's father.[2]
Themes
Themes included are Diversity & Race due to it being an African American story.[5] Other themes include Empathy & Compassion,[6] Coping with Death and Grief,[6] and Adolescent Issues.[7]
Reception
Reviews
- The International Journal of Multicultural Education looks at the gender dynamics, language, and audience. While praising the authenticity of the book, Basile reviews the lack of female portrayal in Bird's life, while typically it is the male figure that is absent in African American families. In regard to language, the reviewer writes "Urban African Americans are often seen as using a fair amount of ‘Ebonics’ and family-rich endearments to make their voices known. The author includes very few words of African American dialect and hence makes this a story appear too cleaned up.” While questioning gender and language, the author praises the author's attempt to connect to a wider audience.[7]
- Kirkus Book Reviews praises Bird, "With unusual depth and raw conviction, Elliott’s child-centered narrative excels in this debut."[8]
- "In a promising debut for both Elliott and Strickland, this picture book tells a poignant story about a boy whose loving family, friends and a gift for drawing help him navigate difficult emotions surrounding the deaths of his grandfather and drug-addicted brother. A complicated weaving of impressive watercolor, gouache, charcoal and ink drawings amplifies the metaphors and action of the poetic text as it combines black-and-white with color," states Publishers Weekly.[9]
Awards
Bird won the Lee & Low New Voices Honor Award, an award given by the publishers of the book.[2] Other major awards include the Coretta Scott King Award/John Steptoe Award for New Talent[10] and the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award for Shadra Strickland.[11] Additional honors includes the Best of 2008 Kirkus Reviews (& starred review), 2009 ALA Notable Children's Book, Bank Street College Best Children's Book 2009, 2009 Paterson Prize for Book for Young Readers, and 2011 West Virginia Children's Choice Book Award.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Bird". Zetta Elliott. 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ a b c d e Lee & Low Books
- ^ "Bio". Zetta Elliott. 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ Langley, Greg (October 19, 2008). "Elliott didn't give up on Bird despite long wait for publication". The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA).
- ^ Elliott, Zetta (2008-01-01). "Bird". Diverse Families.
- ^ a b "Teacher's Guide - Bird | Lee & Low Books". www.leeandlow.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- ^ a b Basile, Donna M. (2008). "Children's Book Review". International Journal of Multicultural Education. 10: 1–2.
- ^ BIRD | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ "Children's books review: Bird". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
- ^ "Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe Award for New Talent | Awards & Grants". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
- ^ "2009 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award Winners | The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation". www.ezra-jack-keats.org. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
