“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” by Anne Toole

THE BIRD THAT DIDN’T WANT TO BE A BIRD

Anne Toole
Outskirts Press (2015)
ISBN 9781478756378
Reviewed by Rose Whitacre (age 6) for Reader Views (04/17)

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” by Anne Toole is a book about a little bird who didn’t want to fall out of a tree and wasn’t happy being a bird. He tried being something else. First, he tried being a cow, but he didn’t want to stand around in the grass and moo. Next, he tried to be a turtle, but he didn’t want to be a turtle because turtles go very slow and the little bird didn’t want to be slow. Then, he tried to be a bee, but he didn’t really want to sting anyone. Next, he tried being a cat, but he decided he didn’t want to be chased by dogs. Then, he tried to be a frog, but he didn’t want spots. So, next, he tried being a horse, but he didn’t want someone to be on his back and ride him. Last, he tried being a worm. The little bird didn’t want to be a worm because worms don’t have any feet. Finally, the little bird decided he wanted to stay a bird. He liked that he could fly in the air and go almost anywhere. He liked to eat seeds and sing.

I didn’t really understand why the bird didn’t want to be a bird. I like being who I am. I was glad that by the end he decided he was happy being himself. I also don’t understand how a bird could be a different animal. He didn’t really do anything to try to be those other animals – he just watched them and thought about how they were different than he was.

I liked how the book was written with rhyming, it was fun to read. But sometimes, the rhymes are a little awkward. They don’t always sound like the way people usually talk. When the bird is talking about being a horse, he says, “No, that’s not for me. A horse I don’t want to be.” It made it a little bit hard to read.

Kids who like birds, nature, and animals or poetry and rhyming would like “The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” by Anne Toole. I loved the pictures because they are beautiful with lots of bright colors and flowers and pretty scenes. The little bird is cute. I thought it was a fun book and really enjoyed reading it!