The Bird Feeder

by Andrew Larsen, Dorothy Leung (Illustrator)

In this poignant story from Andrew Larsen, a child spends time with a beloved grandmother during her final days and experiences love that will last a lifetime. When Grandma gets sick and comes to stay at her grandchild’s house, she brings her bird feeder. Grandma loves birds. And the child loves the time they now get to have together, drawing pictures of birds and “talking about interesting things.” After a while, though, Grandma’s health declines, and she moves to the hospice. Hanging Grandma’s bird feeder outside the window there makes things better. After a while, though, Grandma continues to grow weaker, and her ability to interact lessens. Difficult as it is, the child adjusts, knowing that, while the situation keeps changing, their love for each other never wavers. Award-winning author Andrew Larsen beautifully captures the special bond between a child and a grandparent, and sensitively deals with a child’s loss of a loved one. Using the motif of their shared love of birds and its physical manifestation in the form of the bird feeder allows for a continuity in the child’s life that puts the loss in a larger context. Larsen offers an authentic, straightforward presentation of the process of a loved one’s death, from being sick, to going to the hospice, to participating less and less in their relationship, to death. It will lead young readers to ask their own questions about life, death and how we remember those who die. The cool palette and simple lines in Dorothy Leung’s art evoke empathy for the child’s experience, while the presence of the birds adds life and hope to the visual story.

Genres: Picture Books, Death, Birds, Family, Childrens, Grief, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

Published October 4, 2022

About the author

Andrew Larsen is a father, homemaker and author. When he was a child, he would spend a part of every summer with his grandparents at their cottage on a hill, by a lake. Andrew now lives in a downtown Toronto neighborhood. He has published three picture books with Kids Can Press and one with Fitzhenry & Whiteside. He is married with two children.

Reviews

[Rosh (on a medical break)]

Sweet and heartwarming, but also somewhat intense on the emotions.

The little first person narrator loves his grandma, who is sick and has come to stay at their house. The two spend a lot of happy time together, but their most special activity is watching the birds who come outside their window to feed through Grandma’s birdfeeder. When Grandma’s health declines, she is moved to the hospice. The little boy is upset but soon understands that things needn’t change. He takes the birdfeeder and hangs it outside the hospice window, thus continuing their bonding from a different location. But will things really stay the same? What happens when Grandma’s health deteriorates?

The story portrayed the bond between the grandmother and her grandson so beautifully. Taking their shared love for birds as well as drawings, the author shows that heartfelt connections aren’t restricted by age barriers. Moreover, the book also highlights the death of a loved one, how grief feels, and how we can remember those who are no longer with us. I loved how it showed that change can be for the better if we take it in our stride, and death needn’t be a full stop of a loving relationship as we keep the people in our memories than try to suppress our feelings. The death isn’t written openly but just hinted at, a plus point in my opinion.

The writing is in simple prose, with easy words and just a few sentences per page.

The illustrations are not the typical style of cute rounded cheeks or bright pastel colours. Rather, they are as subdued as the story, with earthy tones dominating the palette. The art style is also minimal. All this works well for this story as the focus stays on the content and the meaning than on the artwork.

Despite the theme, this is a very soothing book. I do recommend it for children to understand that death is a natural stage of life and they can handle it in a positive way. It will help them know that it is okay to grieve, and it is also okay to move on. At the same time, the content is such that I would requests parents/guardians to go through it first and determine its suitability as per the sensitivity level of your child. It might work for kids with aged relatives in hospice care, but I worry kids might assume that hospice means death in the near future – a scary thought for that age.

4 stars.

My thanks to Kids Can Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Bird Feeder”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.




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[Bandita]

This book was so emotional. My poor heart!

This is the story about a young child and his relationship with his grandma who is sick. The grandma likes to watch birds and he waters the bird feeder. But his grandma is sent to a hospice because of her illness. I won't say much because it is a short book.

This book was utterly beautiful. It broke my heart in the end. It showed such a beautiful relationship between a grandchild and a grandparent. Their relationship was precious and my heart was not ready for what happened.

The illustrations and the colours were so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. I loved the story and the illustrations both so much. Highly recommend this one.

[Amy Wesen]

A touching and emotional picture book. I connected with memories of my papa while tears brimmed at each beautiful page. Everyone has lost a loved one and so this makes this small book all the more special and important. ❤️

[Laura]

Sweet , beautiful and honest book about sharing the love of nature with Grandparents in the stage of passing away . I really enjoyed the serene and paper cut looking illustrations here. A wonderful gift book to help a child feel less isolated when their favorite Grandparent is ill.
Only one section seemed more of a jump for younger children to me to understand but a good book for adults to review and go over with their children to understand the process of dying and not sharing what we love with our family
member once they are gone .

[Rita]

[English review below] [Portuguese review below]

[ENG]
Thank you so much to Andrew Larsen, Dorothy Leung and Netgalley for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I knew this book was going to break me and smooth my heart at the same time. It's such an excellent book to introduce such hard topics to children like death and our loved one's absence. And how we nurture the memories and rituals we did with others. How we carry them in our minds and hearts for as long as we live and they live through us, in little gestures.

The drawings are adorable as well, so sweet and delicate.

I felt like giving my grandma the biggest hug possible, whenever she is now.

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[PT]

Eu sabia que este livro me ia partir e curar o coração, ao mesmo tempo. É um livro excelente para introduzir temas difíceis aos mais pequenos como a morte e a ausência de alguém próximo. E como nutrir as memórias e rituais que tínhamos com else. Como os levamos na nossa mente e no nosso coração para o resto da vida e os levamos para todo o lado connosco, em pequenos gestos.

As ilustrações são tão bonitas e delicadas.

Depois deste livro quero dar o maior abraço possível à minha avó, onde quer que ela esteja.

[Emma Filbrun]

Death can be a hard concept for children to understand. This story, about a grandmother and grandchild making memories together in her last days, can help with understanding that concept. I liked the way this book is illustrated, with drawings that gives a feel of both love and sorrow. It is very special to see the way this grandmother and her grandchild spent time together and enjoyed being with each other. Though the topic of this book is a hard one, it is handled very gracefully.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

[Mother Goose Librarian]

Sensitive subject matter
Done in a discreet tender way
Grandparent bond special relationship

Artwork was done digitally.

This would make the perfect recommendation for a family that is struggling with a loved one being in hospice care. It may also be a good book to share with older readers that are also coping with a loved one in hospice care.

[Naomi]

This is a sweet and beautiful read to help children understand the end of life better. Our family has gone through heavy loss this last year and a family member is also currently on hospice. My kids are 4 and 2.5 and it’s a helpful way for kids to understand the end of life. My son loves this book and I choke up every time reading it to him.

[Theediscerning]

A potentially overwhelming look at end of life care, as a young child (the art is great, but it really leaves the character very ambiguous to its gender) fixes a bird feeder outside the hospice window for its grandmother to see. I mean, it's certainly not a book about birds and it's barely about a bird feeder. What it is about is connection, care, supporting someone's interests to their dying days and how such interests and hobbies can live on with younger generations. It will strike a positive note to young readers witness to someone in a hospice, but it won't be one of those Issue Books that just focus on the Issue and forsake the narrative. The artist has done a great job, but the author has presented it all in snappy sentences, where brevity doesn't mean action and shouting, but quiet, calm, and at times gut-wrenching phrasing. Can you have caveat emptor warnings on five star books? When they produce this level of emotion, yes.

[Steph]

I told her I wish I could time travel. “I’d go back in time to when you were my age,” I said. “We’d be best friends.”

Oh my heart!

[Storywraps]

I love this gentle, heartwarming story. A little child shares the family home with beloved, Grandma. She comes to stay because she gets sick. Grandma brings along her bird feeder to place outside her window because she loves to watch the birds that gather there. Together the two observe the birds, draw pictures of them, and chit chat about things that are of interest to them both. They adore each other's company and are very close.

As time proceeds Grandma's health declines much more and she moves to a hospice. The child brings along Grandma's bird feeder and hangs it outside her window there. That act of kindness cheers Grandma up as once again she is united with her favourite pastime... bird watching!

Unfortunately Grandma grows more frail and weak until finally she passes on and her room is silent and empty. The child is very sad that Grandma, a wonderful friend, is now gone.

Once back home, the bird feeder outside Grandma's bedroom window is more precious than ever. It brings back happy memories of their togetherness and Grandma's love for her special grandchild.

The illustrations are beautiful and the illustrator uses a soft, calming colour pallet which is perfect for the subject. The author highlights the precious bond between a child and a grandparent and how a child adjusts to the death of someone so special in life. This book will spark conversations for young readers to ask their own questions on the subject. "The Bird Feeder" is a beautiful sensitive story that I highly recommend.

[Elizabeth]

The BIrd Feeder by Andrew Larsen is a sweet, gentle book which deals with death in a slightly indirect manner. Grandma has been living at the young narrator's home since she got sick. They enjoy many activities together but the best is watching and drawing the birds that visit the feeder outside Grandma's room. Grandma gets sicker and moves to a hospice facility where the child brings birds to her window with a feeder outside. The book does not use any words relating to death. It is implied by showing Grandma's room without her and the child removing the pictures they have hung on the wall and saying Grandma will miss the baby birds leaving their nest. The book is about a very special child/grandmother relationship. One can feel the love and friendship between the two. The child hangs their own bird feeder outside and it adds life to the post-death story. They think of Grandma while doing an activity that they had done with her. Andrew Larsen's spare writing is superb. The illustrations, by Dorothy Leung, are detailed, colorful and very realistic. The drawings the child has put on the wall are even distinct rather than colorful blobs. I highly recommend this book for parents looking to talk about death with their little ones. Thank you to NetGalley, Kids Can Press and Andrew Larsen for this ARC.

[Syntaxx]

Miigweetch NetGalley and Kids Can Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

“The Bird Feeder” is a heartfelt picture book about the relationship between a grandmother and her grandchild. When grandma can no longer live alone, she comes to stay with the child’s family and everything is very wonderful as the two of them can draw, watch the birds outside their window, and “talk about interesting things.” Over time, grandma becomes unwell and must enter hospice, and eventually she passes on. The bird feeder is a thread throughout this time.

I thought the book beautifully handles a very delicate and emotional subject (aging and dying). Language is simple and straightforward, not flowery and there are no muddled metaphors. The parent figure in the story talks to the child about what is happening with the grandma, why she is moving to hospice, in a clear and direct way. I was moved by the story and thought the artwork complemented the text very well.

I recommend this to families with Elders who may be approaching a change such as what we see in the book (e.g. grandparents coming to live at home, entering hospice, preparing for death, etc).

[Sarah Perry]

This is such a lovely book for any child who is facing the prospect of a family member going into a hospice. I think it does a lot for debunking the myths of what hospice rooms actually look like. I really liked the fact that the nurses were pictured wearing their uniforms and the bed was drawn with the sides up as these are things which would be great to discuss or explain through the medium of this book.
There's something lovely about the use of drawing in the book to show that old and young aren't too dissimilar after all. It's also lovely to discuss how the birds become something to remember Grandma by which might be something to suggest to a child reading this book.
The only part I wasn't sure of is that it skips over Grandma's death - although this is probably deliberate it's possibly the most important part of the book as that's where hospice care is leading to and I question the decision to leave it out.

Overall, a really lovely book which is very sensitively written given the difficult subject it discusses.

[Angie]

This sweet picture book tells the story of a terminally ill grandmother who comes to live with the main character. She gives her grandchild the job of filling her bird feeder. She then moves to a hospice and her grandchild comes to visit her. And the end of the story there are pictures that elude to the idea that the grandmother has passed, but it is not explicitly stated and does not evoke sadness. The child enjoys continuing to watch and feed the birds to think about grandma. I think this book would be really great for young children to begin to learn about death in a very calm and gentle story. This book touched a soft spot in my heart because my grandma loved hummingbirds and passed on the importance of taking care of the feeders to her grandchildren. As a grade 3 teacher, I would recommend highly this book to parents, teachers or guidance counsellors of children in the age 4-8 range. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

[Amanda Sanders]

This is the story of a boy and his grandmother in her final days. It begins after she became so sick she couldn’t live alone. I couldn’t help but compare it to Tomie dePaola’s Nana Upstairs Nana Downstairs. The age difference of the boy and his grandmother in Bird Feeder seems too extreme. In Nana he loses his great grandmother. That difference makes more sense. Usually if you are 10, your grandmother isn’t ancient and frail. There is a lot of excitement and joy in Nana but in Bird Feeder, it gets depressing early. If there is a true bonding and happiness in a relationship in a book early, there is more empathy when a character experiences loss at the end. There is a specific niche for this book for children who lose a grandparent. I wouldn’t recommend just for reading entertainment.

[Laura]

A sweet way to explain the concept of death with an older loved one. The child's grandmother moves in with them, and they hang a bird feeder outside her room, so she can see the birds. But as she grows weaker, and has to go into hospice care, but the child hangs a bird feeder there as well, and so they watch the birds from her room, until she dies, and the child says it is good that she saw the baby birds, but won't be around to see them leave the nest.

It ends with the child getting her own bird feeder, to carry on watching birds, like her grandmother did.

Such a sweet way to show the passage of time, and how death comes.

A good asset on death and dying to any library.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Kat]

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc of this title!

The Bird Feeder leaves space for all the feelings that arise as a grandparent ages and dies. The main character connects with their grandmother over watching birds at the birdfeeder and then drawing them together, first at home, then in hospice. The text is sparse, leaving room for the weight of the story unfolding in the illustrations. The color palette remains subdued throughout making the bright red of the cardinals pop off the page. I enjoyed this picture book a great deal and I believe it would make a wonderful addition to any collection, and for children dealing with the loss of a grandparent.

[Lauren]

A lovely picture book about a tough subject, The Bird Feeder uses soft illustrations and a simple story to depict the bond between a child and their grandmother as she goes into hospice care. They like to watch birds and draw together, and the child 'brings the birds' to the hospice center by attaching her birdfeeder to a tree outside her window. I liked that this book wasn't just about death, it was about what leads up to it as well, something that I haven't seen in many picture books. Would recommend.

*Thank you to Kids Can Press for providing this book to SWON Library Consortium for professional review.*

[Brittany]

Wow, what a great picture book. It follows a young child as their grandmother goes from living in their home to a hospice living home. The drawings are gentle and the book isn't overdramatic; more simple and soft than on the page emotions. The entire story is anchored by a bird feeder that serves as a connection between grandma and grandson; in my experience in senior living communities, this is something so relatable. This book is a treasure and I image would be really lovely for young readers.

[Donna Maguire]

I thought that this book was absolutely brilliant!

This was a beautiful story and it really pulled on my heart strings as I read it with my five year daughter not long after my father in law passed away in August this year and we had also lost my grandma (her great-grandma) before that too so there was plenty we could talk about regarding aging and loss and to talk about her feelings

It was superbly written, it had a wonderful flow to the book - I thought it was excellent

It is 5 stars from me for this one – very highly recommended!

[Kayla]

As someone who use to work in hospice I can’t express enough it appreciation for this book. It explains hospice in an inpatient setting in a way that is easy to understand, and doesn’t make it scary. I loved the relationship between the child and their grandmother. This one definitely tugged at my heart strings. I also liked how it shows up that it’s ok to be sad, and that we can keep our memories of our loved ones alive in our daily life.

I was given a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Connie T.]

A tender story about the special bond between a grandchild and grandmother. When the grandmother becomes sick, she moves in with her family. She and the child enjoy their time together, drawing and watching the birds. Then the grandmother enters hospice care and more adjustments are made. The grandmother's health declines and one day she is gone. We see the child and parents packing up her things. At home, the child then puts up their own birdfeeder. This is definitely a sad story but it also contains a lot of love and positivity.

[Daniel Barrows]

A gentle book about hospice care for an elderly grandmother and specifically her relationship with her young grandson. The grandson's feelings are expressed subtly, as is the eventual death of the grandmother, which is evident only from her absence in pictures and a switch to past tense. It's a calm, quiet sort of book.

It's certainly well suited for children who are experiencing or have experienced a relative in hospice. I could imagine reading it to an older child and talking with them about death and dying even if there wasn't a particular relevance.

Reading time: 5 minutes

[Lisa Gisèle]

Beautiful book that nicely explain the passing of loved one and hospice.

The inclusion of the purple jello made me laugh, because it is a very relatable and common sight in hospices and care homes.

It's a gentle and easy to understand way to prepare kids to what they are going to experience with sick relatives or family friends. Helping your child find a common hobby that they can continue to participate with the special person

[Bess]

The first image I saw from this book reminded me of visiting my own grandma when I was a kid and using her binoculars to watch the birds in her trees. The child and grandma in the story also bond over birds—watching, drawing, talking about them. But the grandma is sick and soon has to go to hospice. This book does not shy away from death, but it also provides a happier focus. It’s very sweet, and definitely a tearjerker.

[Melki]

This incredibly touching book presents a special relationship between a grandmother and her grandchild, and their shared love of animals . . . especially birds. As the elderly woman's health declines, she is sent to live in a hospice, but the love within the child's heart never dies.

A sweet and beautiful story that brought a tear to my eye.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for sharing this title.

[Suzy]

Way to make me cry Andrew Larsen! This is a beautiful book. I loved the connection between the grandma and the child and how they still were there for and feeding the birds even when grandma moved.
I liked that the bird feeder still kept that connection between the child and grandma after she was gone.
So so sweet & really lovely illustrations. I also liked that the child can be perceived as a girl or a boy, so many children can relate.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

[Janet]

This is one of those very special picture book titles that will fill a specific need for some children, seeing a grandparent in the final days of their lives. Grandmother is living in the child’s home and transitions to hospice care and finally she passes. The author and illustrator has brought us a picture book that comforts as well as depicts we can live life till the end. Peace is found in this title.

[Anita Salát]

A bitter-sweet story of the last weeks of a grandmother and her grandchild. A great book to introduce the concept of death and the idea of hospice care.
The visual world, including the colour palette, is human and calming, and I really appreciate that the grandchild has no gender.

A hugely important book.

Thank you NetGalley and Kids Can Press for an Advance Review Copy.