A child and their very loved grandmother have a unique bond in The Bird Feeder. Despite their ages, the two of them share common interests. They like to spend time together drawing and watching the bird feeder outside the grandmother’s window. But one day, the grandmother moves into hospice care and the child decides that things can be the same even if they are no longer in the same house. And they bring grandmothers birdfeeder to be outside her new window. Of course, one day they must take the feeder down, but the child does not want to put it back up as it will not be the same.
This touching story about love, friendship and how we honor loved ones by Andrew Larsen is touching, sorrowful and yet, hopeful, too. The publisher description says it is “simple and deep” and that is a good way of describing it.
Dorothy Leung continues this theme with their illustrations. They are basic but have details that flesh out the story with their supporting role. They allow for the child to be neither male or female, showing the family dynamic without too much clutter and the softer, colors add to the “deepness” of the theme.
Ages for listening would be at least five and up. The theme of loss/death is not for everyone, but of course, would help with a personal loss a child has experienced. It would also work for an adult who had a close relationship with a grandparent (grandmother in particular).
