I Heard Said the Bird

by Polly Berrien Berends, Brad Sneed (Illustrator)

"I heard," said the bird, "that there's a NEW ONE coming." The barnyard is bustling with the news. But what is the "new one" going to be? Is it a duckling? Or a piglet? Rhyming text and lively pictures combine to create a charming barnyard tale with a gentle surprise at the end. "This upbeat book is perfect for children anticipating the birth of a 'new one' in their own homes."-- Publishers Weekly

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Family, Poetry

Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[MadZiddi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pictures in this book i.e. paintings by Brad Sneed are amazing. Very lifelike. It seems like the animals are peering out of the book and looking at you. Extremely vivid

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Heard Said The Bird is a short poem about animals in a barnyard who have heard that a "new one" is coming. The animals questioned if it was one of them, meaning an animal, but they all replied "No"! The animals all find out that there is a new baby in the house and they are allowed to see it.

The rhyming was intermittent and used well to convey the point. I enjoyed this book and feel a younger class will too. The pictures add to the poem and tell us what we're missing, but the colors are a muted shade and don't really pop for me.

[Courtney Thrift · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book the gem animals are worried about the NEW ONE. They scurry around the farm trying to figure out who is coming! Turns out the NEW ONE is not a farm animal. It’s a baby.
This book is really cute. It is set up on a poem form and makes for a fun read.
I would introduce this book to the class when we are focusing on rhyming. It would also be fun to use it if a teacher was expecting.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

With many rhyming phrases, the bird starts the barnyard buzzing upon news of a new one arriving. Using question words and animal vocabulary, the animals try to determine who the new one is until discovering that the new one is the baby in the house. Lots of fun wordplay in this accessible story.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good rhyming barnyard story about the "new one." Can be used to discuss a new baby in the family and can also be used if doing a story time theme about farm animals.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Either the library's copy is missing pages, or "'I declare,' said the hare" is the last thing in the book, and makes absolutely no sense.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice for seeing if readers can figure out the mystery before the animals do- using context clues and illustrations.

[Lexie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very realistic story. There is none/weak plot development.

[Courtney Bean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture book- probably best for 1st grade level. Fun rhymes and cute storyline, but a little odd at the end when the hare said, "I declare"

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely rhyming book with beautiful illustrations. I think it would be a lovely way to announce a pregnancy to an only child.

[Stephen Paul Chase, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about animals that live on a farm, they heard that there is a "new one". The animals get very excited and try to find out what type of animal the new one is. The find out that the new one lives in the house and is a baby boy.
Text Set:
"More more more" said the baby by Vera B. Williams
Brand-new baby blues by Kathi Appelt
Michael and his new baby brother by Sarah, Duchess of York
Baby Birds by Jeffrey Rich
Big fat hen by Keith Baker
Birds build nests by Yvonne Winer
Birds of all kinds by Rebecca Sjonger and Bobbie kalman
Let's look at animal feathers by Wendy Perkins
Feathers: poems about birds by Eileen Spinelli
Farms old and new by Lynn M.Stone
Where are my chicks? by Sally Grindley
Big Chickens Fly the Coop by Leslie Helakoski
You're Too Small by Shen Roddie Pigs aplenty, pigs galore! by David McPhail

*need more farm books.

[Sarah Kasper · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I Heard Said the Bird" is a story I would share in my Pre-K through 1st grade classrooms. In terms of literary devices, this book is full of rhyme and repetition. I think it would be cute to use this book in a reader's theater because there are many characters and dialogue. This is also a good book to share with any students who are dealing with a new addition in the family. The story ends with the animals hearing that there is a new baby in the house, so I would read this to a child who is about to, or has just had, a new addition to their household. Sometimes children do not deal with this well, so reading a cute story about it might help that transition from only child to other brother/sister.

[Auttumn C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet book for students who are preparing for a new sibling some students need help coping with the idea of a new member in their family and this would be a good book to introduce this topic. This would also be a good book for a teacher who is preparing to have a baby and this could be a sweet book to read to tell your students! This book could turn into an activity using the telephone game. If you are introducing anything new into the classroom this would be the perfect book to red to the class, whether it be a new student or a class pet. Read this book every time you introduce something new and have them predict what it could be!

[Beckie Coldiron · Rating 5 out of 5]

" I Heard Said the Bird" is a fun book that explores farm animals communicating about what they think is going to happen on the farm. Since the animals are predicting the entire time, this would be a great book to use with predictions. I would also recommend reading this book with a child who is about to become a brother or sister, since it helps make a lighter discussion out of a sometimes serious topic. Overall, this is a fun book that can explore several areas of repetition! I would recommend this for children in kindergarten and first grade.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a fun read for a child expecting a new sibling. Pages are full of illustrations of barnyard animals and the story rhymes.

Cleanliness: "my word!" is exclaimed on the second to last page.

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.

[Tawny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Heard Said the Bird was a good book. The bird begins a rumor that "a new one is coming". This travels to all the other animals getting them all curious. In the end a young boy comes out and tells the animals that there is a new one and if they are quite they can see. They find out the new is a baby. I think it is a good story, it also has a nice rhyme. The illustrations are also really good and detailed. Nice book, I enjoyed it.

[Amber Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It is about different animals on a farm who are trying to figure out what new addition has come to the farm. It is great to use in the classroom with 1st and 2nd grade students when discussing how conversation is used n writing. Students can see how quotation marks are properly used, and that they are used around the words an individual is saying. This story can also keep young readers engaged by the use on rhyming words throughout the pages.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Determined to have a "new sibling" storytime at some point this year, this is a likely addition to the program plan along with "Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for a Baby?" All the animals on the farm wonder who the "new one" is and finally, they see the family's new (human) baby addition. Appealing illustrations. The girls loved it.

[Lorena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this to my kinder class and it went over pretty well. I liked that it introduced a few new words that I was able to expose my class to, like "mare" and "stallion", in addition to a few others. The biggest problem I had with this book was the ending. It seemed a bit jarring and unfinished.

[Becky B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bird hears that there's a New One coming, but what kind of new one could it be? They ask around the barnyard, but no one seems to know. The boy on the farm knows, though. It's a new baby.

Very colorful and eye-catching illustrations accompany this simple story. Probably a good pick for new big siblings.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The animals on the farm are excited about the arrival of a newborn. The pictures are beautiful. This would make a nice story to read to a child that is getting ready to become a big brother or sister.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Clever prose and cute pictures. It is perfect for Luke as it has animals AND a new baby. Ideal for this time in his life when I'm trying to clue him in that he's getting a new sibling soon!

[Meghan Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to use for a preschool storytime on animals or new babies. It would also be good for a young child who is getting a new sibling. The illustrations are crisp and bright and the rhythm, rhyme, and repetition are very engaging.

[Alissa Benefiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an adorable book about barn yard animals, talking about hearing about a "new one" being there. They soon find out that the "new one" is not a new animal but a new baby in the house. I believe it is a great book for children grade K-2, it is a good read aloud book.

[Andrea M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new baby is special and how the animals find out about it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and simple story with repetition appealing to preschoolers. Above average illustrations.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has the potential to instill a sense of wonder in it's reader, as the animals all seek to know, what the New One will be.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute little story with a fun rhyme. I enjoyed reading it with my boys. I wish the rhyme had been used more, but it was fun.

[Jacqueline]

Very cute!