Paper Boat, Paper Bird
Written by David Almond ● Illustrated by Kirsti Beautyman
Verdict:
A quietly told book about a paper bird carrying a message between two children who never meet. Short enough for one sitting, and may inspire children to fold and send messages of their own.
What is it about?
This quiet story follows a paper bird in a paper boat in Kyoto, Japan. A girl named Mina, visiting from London (and whom some readers might recognize from David Almond's previous books, Skellig and My Name is Mina), gets two folded paper creations from a woman on a bus. Mina writes her name and a message of friendship on them and sets them on a stream to float away. A Japanese boy, out walking with his father, finds them, and writes his own message. All of this happens amid the sights and sounds in and around Kyoto.
Our take:
Some books suggest more than they tell. This is one such book. Children will be required to exercise their deductive skills to follow the story, but it is not too demanding, and such exercises can be good training for other mental skills. While listening to the story, or after reading it, students could also exercise handcrafting skills, folding, writing, and preparing their own messages in countless forms (from origami to zines) and sending them out into the world.
Perfect for:
The book is short and fully illustrated, which makes it well suited to a read aloud across two or three sessions, and equally manageable for a newer independent reader who wants something that looks and feels like a full-length novel. Beautyman's drawings are pencil on white, with warm red accents picking out the origami and scattered details.
The story also offers openings for discussions on crafting and imagination, on coincidences and intentions, and on friendships and families. It is also suitable for reading alongside a study on Japan, paper crafts, or the historic practice of sending messages. The publisher suggests ages 10 and up, though the simplicity of the language brings it within reach of confident readers from about 8.
Readers who come to it after Skellig will have the added pleasure of meeting Mina again, but no prior reading is needed.
Conversation Starters
Has a stranger ever given you something nice? Have you given a stranger something nice?
How do boats float? How do birds fly?
Would you like to find a message from someone? Who? Where?
Would you like to send a message to someone? Who? Where?
What kinds of things can we do with paper?
Let's make a folded paper creation.
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