Mama Bird Lost an Egg
by Evelyne Fournier
illustrated by Chloloula
Date: 2019
Publisher: Chouette Publishing
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley
Mama Bird is sad today. A little egg she was keeping warm has broken. With tenderness and compassion, her son, Gabriel, helps comfort her.
A thoughtful picture book that explores the theme of miscarriage, using a subtle metaphor. It provides families who are living a similar experience a resource to talk about grief and loss with young children.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
I don't know if this picture book would work for the intended audience. The "subtle metaphor" mentioned in the synopsis is probably too subtle for kids to get, while being not subtle enough for the adults reading it. (The nest even looks a bit like a uterus, and when it fails at the bottom, dropping the egg... Well, I'm not sure how that's going to play with women who've had miscarriages.)
Basically, Gabriel the bird is disappointed, but tries to cheer his mother up by flying around with her and looking at the scenery. I'm just not sure if that's enough for a book with this subject matter and theme. I don't think kids should feel responsible for their parents' emotional well-being, either, which is another reason why I'm hesitant to recommend this one.
The pictures are simple (maybe a little too simple) and bright, but I don't know if they'd be that appealing to kids. The use of birds in this case also leads to a disconnect between the text and illustrations, such as when the story says that Gabriel nestles in his mother's lap. Obviously, that's not something birds can do (and I'm glad the illustrator didn't even attempt to portray it)!
This is a bit of a miss for me. While the intent behind this book is good, I don't think the execution quite works.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chouette Publishing for providing a digital ARC.
Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 3/5
Enjoyment: 1/5
Overall: 2.17 out of 5
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