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Elsie's Bird
By Yolen, Jane
Publishers Summary:
Elsie is a city girl. She loves the noise of the cobbled streets of Boston. But when her mother dies and her father moves them to the faraway prairies of Nebraska, Elsie hears only the silence, and she feels alone in the wide sea of grass. Her only comfort is her canary, Timmy Tune. But when Timmy flies out the window, Elsie is forced to run after him, into the tall grass of the prairie, where sheÕs finally able to hear the voice of the prairieÑbeautiful and noisyÑ and she begins to feel at home. Jane Yolen and David Small create a remarkable, poetic, vividly rendered book about finding oneÕs place in the world.
- ISBN
- 978-0-39925-292-1
- Publisher
- Philomel
REVIEWS
School Library Journal
Starred Review on September 1, 2010
Gr 1–4—Elsie, Boston born, loves the sounds and sights—and especially the songs—of the city, but when her mother dies, her father seeks comfort on the frontier of Nebraska. Her new prairie home is all grass and sky and silence and Elsie feels small and afraid. Her only companion, a going-away gift, is Timothy Tune, a canary with whom she exchanges songs throughout her solitary days. When the door to the cage is accidentally left open, Timothy fl...Log In or Sign Up to Read More
Horn Book Magazine
Reviewed on September 1, 2010
What, after great loss, brings solace? Despite Mama's death years ago, Elsie has "a comfortable childhood" in her beloved Boston, where she can play street games with friends, listen to birdsong, and visit her grandparents. Papa, however, remains unconsoled; so when Elsie is eight, the two move to the Nebraska frontier. Now it's Elsie who's bereft. The sod-roofed house seems lonely and desolate, and her e...Log In or Sign Up to Read More
Junior Library Guild
Reviewed on September 1, 2010
A touching story about family, loss, change, and what makes a house a home.Throughout her lyrical text, Jane Yolen refers to everyday noises including human voices, church bells, and bird calls, effectively drawing attention to the pervasive...Log In or Sign Up to Read More
