SuitabookThe Starling’s Song
Octavie Wolters
- Reading
- Read the words aloud slowly, returning to the illustrations after each bird’s contribution. Invite your child to name one ordinary natural detail they would add to the song.
- Themes
- Finding beauty in ordinary nature: The starling wants to sing about sights including blossom, snow-capped mountains and a roe deer’s coat, then gathers other birds’ additions. The narrative treats attentive noticing and appreciation of the natural world as worthwhile.
- Making meaning together: The starling visits other birds, who each have something to add to his song. The structure presents a shared creation in which the starling remembers and incorporates what others contribute.
- Worth knowing
- The visual style is striking rather than softly decorative: mainly black and white, with flashes of yellow on the starling’s beak and feet. Consider whether this graphic contrast will engage your child.