Michael Bird-Boy

by Tomie dePaola

A black cloud covering Michael Bird-Boy's beloved countryside is traced to a factory which makes artificial honey

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Environment, Nature, Juvenile

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Tomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) was best known for his books for children.

He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.

Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

DePaola is a prolific writer and illustrator having worked on over 200 titles. He is most renowned for his Strega Nonabooks about an Italian granny/witch. Being an American with an Irish-Italian heritage I can see the appeal. DePaola has mentioned his early interest with the character of Punch (whose name derives from the Italian for beak) and I wondered whether elements of Michael embody this character (probably not!). Although he does dress up into the character of a great white bird (white symbolises life when associated with Punch), he is hardly vicious or crafty.
This is a story with a fable-like quality whose moral message is one of conservation and man's struggle to control and master rather than work in harmony with nature. Michael is the story's saviour, guiding the environment-polluting Boss-Lady whose syrup factory chokes Michael's environment. Yet this is not due to greed and power, it seems, but rather a lack of understanding of the natural world which I find interesting. Whether DePaola is saying that in time our ignorance will blind us or whether we will simply show no interest in the natural world is one that children might enjoy exploring.
Whatever the case, Tomie's illustrations are some of his finest. With Michael travelling across the pages to meet up with Boss-Lady in a series of beautiful little frames to then gracing full-page spreads filled with stars and flowers, I found this book an absolute delight and must now have a personal copy.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

this didn't really grab me but a solid story about a boy who dresses like a bird and goes to investigate why black smoke is ruining the environment around him. He finds a smoke stack and asks the plant to use real bees to make honey instead of boiling artificial and making a the smoke. he becomes friends with the owner as he helps her set up the bees. the environment is much better in the end.

[Finny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mommy says: A winning tale for budding environmentalists.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tomie dePaola's art work in this picture book is simple, expressive, clarifies the action, and adds humor and compassion to the story, as well-made picture books will do (T.A. Young, p.38). The protagonist is a boy who dresses often in a bird costume and expresses the value of caring for our environment. The setting is defined as the time, location, and social environment (www.reference.com). The setting here is contemporary to readers, predominantly outdoors where industrial air pollution is evident. Author DePaola went to sleep with the fathers about a month ago and has earned any honor I might induce. This book is a good introduction to the style of an interesting author who published an average of a book each quarter for fifty years. I would use the book to teach clear, succinct writing and simple expressive character drawings, for pre-K through third grades.

[Sophia Crabtree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book has a great message for young readers. It shows students the side effects of pollution, but it also shows them the benefits of change. Michael was one person who brought a lot of change to his community by stepping up. It shows students the importance of fighting for what is right.

[Beread_in · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely ideas to empower little ones. To demonstrate that you can care about the environment and to voice out concerns to inspire change and be part of making that change happen.

A good lesson in that boss-lady was open to learning and finding better ways to doing things.

[Library Lady Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would be good paired with The Lorax or other stories about saving the earth.

[Dayana Sa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Jordan Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A feel-good story of cooperation. My favorite part is how they never make a deal out of the bird suit, not that’s how you do inclusion.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy who dresses in a bird costume everyday finds the source of a thick black cloud that has been hovering over his home in the countryside. When he finds out that the black cloud is being produced by a company in the city, he offers the business's owner some advice for improving her product without harming the environment.

Put this on the shelf next to The Lorax for Earth Day.

PreK-2.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a truly obnoxious book. It's like a know-it-all's wet dream: oh, somebody has no clue about the world in which they live and happily accepts my help when I tell them that everything they're doing is wrong and they should just do it this way instead! Just obnoxious. And I'm not against the message, this is just the absolute worst way to share it!

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book tells a tale with a honey sweet ending.

I'll bet "Michael Bird-Boy" could become a favorite to read again and again.

The simplicity of the story, its rhythms, and the goodness of the two main characters: All of this appealed to me. Totally created for children and children at heart!

[Ayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

My dad wrote a musical adapted from the book. As kids, we performed it at local libraries. There is an awesome video of Eli as Michael Bird-boy and me as the Boss Lady. The songs are catchy, let me tell you.

[Sara B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael is a boy who loves to wear a bird costume. One day he discovers a black cloud. He investigates and discovers that the black cloud is actually smoke coming from a factory. Michael talks with the boss who is a lady. She listens to what he has to say and ...

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is suddenly a lot more relevant, what with the honeybee crisis we're having.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A honey of a story.

[Michelle Farella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I get why the boy dresses up as a bird. The plot is good without that element...