Hilda and the Bird Parade

So Hilda and her mother have now moved to the city, and everything has changed. Hilda was used to running around on her own exploring, but her mother thinks that the city is a lot more dangerous, so she is skeptical about giving her daughter the same freedoms. Hilda is clearly not a city child, and she gets lost easily and doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the kids, but thankfully she has her trusty fox-pet to track her down and get her home safe. The magical creature she meets this time around is a Thunderbird - who momentarily forgets that he is more than just a raven - but he remembers just in time for the annual parade that the city hosts to celebrate the luck that he brings them every year. The story is quite charming, but I show more was less impressed with Pearson’s artwork this time around. It just felt a little more simplistic than previously, and didn’t have quite the same panache. show less

This is more in the "weird and wonderful" category, but there are a few creepy moments.

In Hilda and the Midnight Giant, Hilda has a magical adventure in the wilderness where she lives in a small, isolated house. Every day there are new things to do and discover...until she and her mother move to the city, Trolberg. Hilda wants to explore but her mother is scared of the city and doesn't want Hilda to wander away on her own. When some kids from school let Hilda join their group, at first she thinks everything will be fine. Her mom is happy she's with friends and she can explore the city. But her new "friends" aren't as interesting as she'd hoped and Hilda gets plunged into a scary adventure that slowly blossoms into a magical evening and show more a new friendship between Hilda and her mother.

There are so many things to love about this story. First, the colors follow the plot; the beginning is earth colors, brown, orange, red as Hilda begins to explore the city in the daylight. When Hilda leaves her "friends" and goes off to explore on her own, the colors dim to grays and finally to a dark and creepy blue-gray. As the magic of the parade takes over, the oranges and red come back and glow brighter and brighter until Hilda and her mother experience the night magic of the city in a blaze of fiery color.

Second, I loved the unconventional friendships. There's no stereotypical point where Hilda and the other kids figure out they both have things to offer and can make new friends. Hilda knows she's different and celebrates her difference; she doesn't need the convention, boredom, and cruelty of the other kids. Although she and her mother have some arguments, they both work things out and their relationship grows and changes by the end of the story.

Third, giant magical birds. I need say no more.

Verdict: This won't be for every kid, but those that love the magical and unique will devour this imaginative fantasy and delight in the art and story. If you only buy one series for the minority, buy this.

ISBN: 9781909263062; Published May 2013 by Nobrow Press; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library show less

Hilda gets lost in the new city after the group of kids she's with throws a rock at a bird.

I'm glad to see that Hilda is getting to know her new city. I do feel so sad for her and missing the wilderness of where she was born. I hope she can still have marvelous adventures to come, but reading as much about Hilda as I have, I know she'll be fine.

Finally got this book to get caught up in the series. In this one, Hilda and her mom are moved in at Trolberg and Hilda is looking for adventure. What she finds is an unusual bird and winds up getting lost trying to get home. Loved the graphics and the story.

Another lovely entry in the series. For the first time, though, Hilda and her mum enter a modern, urban environment, and as a result it's a little more "messagey."

Loved it! This is the third Hilda book, and they just get better and better. They're not for everyone, but if you love this style of art and a good, quirky story, this is for you.

Hilda and the Bird Parade by Luke Pearson is the third of the Hilda books. Hilda and her mother have moved away from their cabin, to a busy city. The mother now has to work outside of the home, leaving Hilda on her own.

Scared of a new city, confused by its size and complexity, and befriended by the wrong crowd, Hilda's introduction to city life isn't going so well. Her mother and she have plans to watch an annual parade celebrating a local bird spirit.

Hilda with her ability to see what most people can't (first sight, second thoughts Ñ a perfect term from Wee Free Men), she gets to experience a magic she thought she had left behind on her mountain.

It's a beautiful book with nods to the Japanese spirit procession, but with birds and in a show more city that's Alpine. The colors are bold and saturated, taking on the harsh tones of a busy city and the rich hues of dusk and torch light.

The next book in the series is Hilda and the Black Hound (2014) show less