Elsie's Bird

I enjoyed this book tremendously! Living in Boston, MA, Elsie is sad because her mother died, but has comfort in knowing her father remains and loves her.

When he decides to move from Boston to leave the pain of memories behind, Elsie has a dramatic change in living on the prairie of Nebraska.

Taking her wonderful bird Timothy helps with the loneliness of the transition.

When Timothy flies from his cage and escapes into the prairie, Elsie is heart broken. Daring to venture into an unfamiliar territory, Elsie must find her beloved bird.

When she finds him she also discovers the beauty of here environment and finds comfort.

Returning home, she discovers that her father obtained a dog for her.

Life with animals is the key to happiness.

Elsie’s dad decides to move far away from the city of Boston after his wife died. However, Elsie did not want to move away from the noisy place that she had known. They moved to Nebraska, where there is nothing but grass and silence. When the two moved, Elsie did not want to go outside. She wanted to stay inside with her bird, Timmy Tune. However, one day, Timmy Tune had escaped. Elsie went out into the tall grass in search of him, singing his favorite tune. He began to sing back, and flew onto her shoulder, and the other birds started to join in. Not long after that, she heard a frightened call from her father. When she arrived back at her house, there were five hens, a rooster, and a dog waiting for her. She might not have the sound show more of Boston, but she will always hear lots of noise with the new animals. Elsie overcomes a lot of change in her life, from losing her mom to having to move away from everything she’s ever known. I think she is now ok with the change; she now has a true prairie home. show less

Elsie's Bird is about a young girl who's mother dies when she is young. Her dad grows more unhappy with the place they live every year. One day, he decides they are moving west. The young girl has always loved singing with birds. It is her freedom and release of worries. She brings a pet bird with her to the new house. The setting of this book is at some point before America was totally settled. They moved west where there was nothing but open fields. This contributes to the plot because the dad sees this as freedom, while the daughter sees this as trapped.
There is an interesting piece of symbolism that caught my attention. At one point in the story, Elsie's pet bird flies quickly out of the cage because she accidentally left the cage show more door open. This represented her father's urgency to get out of the old town they lived in to be free. This bird had the same feelings with the cage.
I found that this book was illustrated very well. It is a nice book if taken for face value, which is fine. I think that it has very little to offer besides the illustrations and the symbolism with the bird. I am unsure of what the author was trying to accomplish and what the point of the book is. i was left wondering why. show less

I'm a little confused about the age of the girl - she looks to be about 8 in every picture, every year. And she's depicted being left alone, cooking on a cast-iron stove, no signs of any education. So, hm. Still, it's a beautifully expressed story of a strong theme.

Compare to [b:Lizzie Nonsense|3403331|Lizzie Nonsense|Jan Ormerod|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348078939l/3403331._SX50_.jpg|3443469] and of course [b:Sarah, Plain and Tall|106264|Sarah, Plain and Tall (Sarah, Plain and Tall, #1)|Patricia MacLachlan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327254558l/106264._SY75_.jpg|2674739].

Oh, and despite it being a picture-book, I don't necessarily recommend it for show more tots. Maybe you have a gift for sharing complex themes with a little, but I'd say that an older child would likely appreciate it more. Well, all of the ones I mention, that is.

LFL find show less

Elsie's Bird by Jane Yolen and David Small is about a young girl who is forced to move away from her home to a different setting. From city to country, Elise the heroine of the story is taken away what she knows. Her grandparents give her a little canary "Timmy Tune" as a going away gift. In her new country home, this canary is the only music she hears. But, one day Timmy Tune flies out of his cage and Elise is left to find him in her new setting. Elise's Bird tells the story of love, family and happiness. After reading the story, readers can reflect back to their own memories of childhood pets and the special moments they had together and the bonds that last a lifetime.

This book is perfect for the little ones and the older ones, who show more enjoy hearing stories about animals. It is a deep, thoughtful read, but the colorful pictures and light tone give it a whimsical feel. After reading the book, discussion about "how has your pet helped you through your tough times? or has your pet ever made you feel like Elise?(Better) Are great followup questions. show less

39 months - This is the type of story I love to read with O. Stories where you feel for the little girl and her emotional journey. It doesn't hurt to have David Small illustrate. He has become my all time favorite illustrator. He has an amazing ability to capture movement and emotion and add so much more to a story than the words of the author can.

After city girl Elsie's mother died, her father moves them to Nebraska. Her only friend is her bird. When her bird flies out the window, she is forced to explore her new environment, and she begins to feel at home. I enjoyed the sweet message of finding your home no matter where you go.