A House for Every Bird

by Megan Maynor, Kaylani Juanita (Illustrator)

A young artist's drawings rebel against her when she tries to put her sketched birds in houses that match how they look, but not how they feel in this hilarious picture book perfect for readers of Julian is a Mermaid and The Big Orange Splot.

A young artist has drawn birds and bird houses in corresponding colors. Now it's time to match them up. The blue bird goes in the blue house, the orange bird in the orange house, and so on. But wait! The birds don't agree with the narrator's choices and, much to her distress, are rebelling by swapping houses. Can the narrator make the birds see sense? Or is it possible that you just can't tell a bird by its feathers?

Genres: Picture Books, Birds, Childrens, Animals, Humor, Friendship, Art

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Ms. B]

There's no gratitude in this story about a child with good intentions who draws a variety of homes for her birds. What happens when her drawings come to life and do not appreciate her efforts?

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one! Not at all what I was expecting. The meta style of the birds in the drawings taking over was entertaining and adds humor. And the central message to not make assumptions about who and what people (or birds) are all about and put them in boxes where they don't feel comfortable or don't fit them, and if you want to know what someone likes, just ask them & "you really can't tell a bird by its feathers" can be interpreted on on multiple levels.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this lively story and the fun and bold illustrations. The illustrations are so colorful they burst right off the page. Fun story for all ages!!

[Emily Carlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

OOohhh, I felt this story! Those birds were not listening to the plan that the character had in her head! I understand that frustrating feeling. This is a good read. The illustrations are busy but I think that lends to illustrating how busy the mind can be when upset off the path.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[N]

"the only way to know a bird... is to get to know a bird."

[Abby Johnson]

When a young artist's bird drawings revolt, she learns that you can't tell much about a bird by its feathers. It's best to ask others how they want to be treated than to assume you know what they need.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this one for central message - don't make assumptions, ask what others want or need.

[Aolund · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for Kaylani Juanita's illustrations! However, this book was a weird mix of too conceptual and too much dialogue. I just didn't really get into it.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrator, an ambitious young artist, has been hard at work drawing birds and houses for them. Since it makes sense to her that the colors of the houses would match the birds' colors, that's the color scheme she has followed. But as she quickly learns, the birds have other color preferences as well as other requirements that surprise her. For instance, Large Bird is not fond of large spaces and gravitates to places that are something of a tight squeeze. The young girl is receptive to some of what the birds tell her, but she becomes frustrated when they won't stay where she put them and try to go off the script, page or house. While the birds appreciate her efforts, they suggest that she not make assumptions about what they want or need but ask them. Chastened but also a little bit wiser, she has learned her lesson, and when she is ready to offer a snack of seeds, she pauses first to determine if that's what all the birds seated around her dining room table want. Young readers will laugh at some of the birds' responses with some calling for bugs and one even having a very specific request for a veggie burrito. This picture book, illustrated digitally using multimedia, contains an important lesson about assumptions nestled within its humorous content. The fact that the illustrations of the birds and their houses look exactly like what a young child might draw adds to its appeal as do the conversation balloons that represent what the birds say. The double-page spread showing all the birds laid out on a large sheet of drawing paper, held down by tape and markers will amuse readers even though the artist's efforts are futile.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

A HOUSE FOR EVERY BIRD is an imaginative picture book that emphasizes the importance of not making assumptions about birds and what they like. A young girl has drawn birds and houses for each bird, with blue houses for blue birds and tall houses for tall birds. But then, the birds begin to move around to find the houses that suit them best, much to her chagrin. As her frustration builds, she realizes that maybe she didn't know what was best for each bird- but how would she have known? The birds have the answer- ask them.

What I loved: This was a really cute story with a solid message of accepting others for who they are and approaching understanding not by appearance but by conversation. The story features a lot of character frustration as the girl does not like all the switches, and this is delightful for young children who can appreciate the feeling but also enjoy the silly situation. The illustrations are imaginative with plenty of colors and artwork features throughout. The dialogue bubbles add to the fun with having the birds chat. The ending brings it all together well and is an adorable finish to a cute book.

Final verdict: With imaginative illustrations and a cute story, A HOUSE FOR EVERY BIRD is a delightful picture book about not making assumptions about others and instead getting to know them. Recommend for preschool and elementary school aged readers.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many important themes that aren't often explored in a cute picture-book: Don't judge a person by their skin color. Don't assume someone who is tall likes basketball. Ask people who need help what kind of help they need (Onion John's neighbors, I'm looking at you, also see The Dancing Pancake).

But mostly it's laugh-out-loud funny, literally, according to both me and my adult son. It does remind a little bit of Dr. Seuss, Butter Battle and Sneetches for example, but it's totally contemporary, with a lot of wonderful detail in the pictures.

We both highly recommend it to, well, everyone.

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute story involving a young artist who draws birds and a house for each bird. But she assumes what the birds' want in their houses and get frustrated when they all have to switch. At the end, she learns that she shouldn't have assumed she knew what was best for them but should have asked instead.
I can see how this book is a metaphor for gender and a socially conscious adult could definitely use this book as a tool when discussing asking for pronouns, etc. But the book can also be used at face value as a fun book. Kids could design their own birds and bird houses after reading the book.
The illustrations are really fun (although on one spread some of the birds had Xs over their eyes, which seemed weird) and they incorporate other items (one of the houses looks like a bunch of grapes).

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

My almost 4 year old loves this one. And I enjoyed it too. The idea is that this kid makes a matching house for every bird and then starts to get worked up when the birds have their own opinions about which houses they prefer, including ones that may not "match" their identity in her eyes. Definitely sparked an interest in making a birdhouse for our backyard, and also gave me a useful place to start conversation about not making assumptions and asking people if you want to find out what they want/need. As they say in the book, you can't know a bird until you GET to know a bird. A unique and engaging story that I'd recommend to all, especially kids who are getting a little too caught up in the binaries or in what others SHOULD or should not be doing.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I guess you really can’t tell a bird by its feathers.”

A young girl draws pictures and places the birds she drew in the houses where she thinks they belong: Red bird, red house ... tall bird, tall house. But the birds have other ideas of where they want to be. The blue bird actually wants to live in the orange house. After all, the bird is only blue on the outside. In other words, how can you look at only the outside of someone and determine what they need? Frustrated, the girl says “I was only trying to help ... How was I supposed to KNOW what you like?” And the simple response is “Ask us.”

Love this one! Such a great read aloud to talk about how we shouldn’t assume things about people just by the way they look and the only way to truly know someone, is to talk to them. A definite addition to my school library.

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

A young artist is sure her drawing is complete--every bird has its very own house matching its appearance. But soon they are left confounded when the birds come to life and start switching to homes that feel right to them. How is our artist supposed to know her blue bird would prefer an orange house?

Presents a great framework for the value in simply asking people what they like best rather than guessing.

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I guess you really can't tell a bird by its feathers", a line from the book, gives away the premise of the book. As the author writes in the book, "And the only way to know a bird is ... to get to know a bird." I like how the author uses a simple story of a girl drawing to teach a lesson about getting to know someone before thinking you know what they are like. At the least according to the book, just ask the person. A book not like other books! I recommend this book!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not everyone fits by the way they look on the outside. The duck may be into ninja training and prefer the house with the swing over the house with the pond, and the little bird may like the big house because it's in a band with lots of other birds. The way to figure out where they want to be is to ask! And unmentioned explicitly, when someone isn't obviously male or female, the same principle applies: just ask!

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows a girl who draws birds and their matching houses. Except the birds don't like the houses they are given so she learns that she can't assume what they like and that she has to ask them. I would use this book in my classroom to teach kids the importance of asking people what they like and prefer without assuming. You never know what someone is like on the inside, so it is best to just ask!

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl enjoys drawing birds and homes for the birds but the birds don't go to the homes she made for them. The artist is unhappy that they chose different colored houses that don't fit the birds she made them for. And the birds tell her to "Ask us" what we want. Then she makes them a bird feast and they tell her what they prefer again.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the message of the book, but not so much the flow or reading the story. Stella seems to like it, though. Girl draws birds and houses for them, and gets upset when they want to swap because she assumed what they'd like based on how they look. Solution is to ask them what they like and get to know them.

[Villain E · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about identity. A girl draws birds and houses, matching them by color or by size. But the orange bird likes the blue house, and the small bird likes the big house. The girl wants them to go the places she thinks they're supposed to go, and the birds have to convince the girl that she shouldn't make assumptions based on looks.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

We've been reading books illustrated by Kaylani Juanita all week, and I love her signature style. The story itself was also really touching, to literally not box someone into an idea you had for them, but to let them show you who they are and what they like. Well done.

[Rebecca Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creative story. A girl is trying to draw a house for every bird, but when the birds want a house that's different than their assigned ones, the author has to learn the lesson that you need to ask someone what they like instead of assuming.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young artist draws houses for every bird, but her uniform drawings receive push-back from the birds, as they show and tell her that not everything is as what it seems in her mind. An interesting look at how many different tastes and likes there are among living things.

[Ashley Anita-Barriga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and silly book to read. The little girl is drawing houses for the birds but the birds do not like the houses the girl is drawing for them. I really liked the overall message of the book to ask instead of assume.

[Rolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I LOVED this--lots of fun, but also a great way to get kids thinking about what people need, and how we need to ask and listen to people before assuming we know better than they do what they need.

[mg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't assume...ASK US!

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t judge a bird by its color! Cute book.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appeal Factors: WNDB; art; expectations/acceptance