This book is about how Mehkai (nicknamed Bird) copes with the passing of his grandfather and brother. His silence and confusion is drawn on paper, which is what makes this book a heart-touching story. An amazing read that I highly recommend. ( )

This award-winning book deals with two very difficult subjects: death of a beloved grandfather, and death by drug overdose of a brother.

Fortunately, Mehkai, because of his beautiful art work of drawing birds, his nickname is also known as "bird." Losing two very important family members is difficult. Drawing is Mehkai's release from pain. As time goes on, his grandfather's best friend Sonny looks out for him.

When Mehkai told Sonny he would like to play the saxophone like Charlie Parker, Sonny reminds him we are all different and possess varying skills. Bird's skills are incredibly beautiful, and they are the release from pain that he seeks. The illustrations are incredibly detailed, and I will seek additional books illustrated by Shadra Strickland. ( )

I really liked this book. It pushes readers to think about tough issues such as death due to overdose. I liked the descriptive language the author used in the story. For example, "we sit on Uncle Son's lumpy sofa and sip our sweet, black coffee." I love black coffee so I made a personal connection because the author added extra descriptive words. I thought that the plot was well paced and organized. The author had the story build up to the death of the main character's brother and showed how the main character dealt with his grief. The illustrations were the best part of this book. The main character is really good at drawing so some of the main details in the illustrations look like someone sketched them. This enhances the story and makes the book really enjoyable. ( )

I LOVE this book and all that it stands for! The man character Mehkai is going through hardships that students may face at home and using his art as a release for his emotions and confusion. Between the death of a grandparent and a sibling dabbling into drugs, our main character is forced to take on real-world problems and find a way to cope. I love that he uses art to understand and process such tough topics. This book would be perfect for addressing a class or individual student who has such problems on their radar. "Bird" presents a healthy way for students to address the questions, feelings, and fears that they have through art and creativity. ( )

Response - This book is very serious. I have not yet read a book that dealt with a young boy losing his older brother to drug abuse. However, the family is close, which emphasizes the importance of family relationships.

Curricular connections - I think this book could be used with certain populations that face drug abuse by family members.