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Brian's Bird
It's Brian's eighth birthday and his family bought him a parakeet. He's named it Scratchy, because that's what it feels like when the bird sits on his finger. Brian has been blind since he was four. Even though he can't see Scratchy, he can play with him and teach him to talk.
With his Grandma's help, Brian learns to take the bird out of his cage and let him sit on his finger. When Scratchy decides to fly around the room, Brian needs his grandma's help to find him. Over time, Scratchy learns to say "Hello, Brian" and "Come on, Scratchy". One day, Brian's absent-minded brother leaves the front door open, and Scratchy flies outside. Will Brian be able to get him back?
With his Grandma's help, Brian learns to take the bird out of his cage and let him sit on his finger. When Scratchy decides to fly around the room, Brian needs his grandma's help to find him. Over time, Scratchy learns to say "Hello, Brian" and "Come on, Scratchy". One day, Brian's absent-minded brother leaves the front door open, and Scratchy flies outside. Will Brian be able to get him back?
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2000
40 people want to read
About the author
Patricia A. Davis
1 bookLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 19, 2020
Brian’s Bird is a moving story featuring the title character’s delight in his new pet bird and conflict negotiation with his older brother. Brian happens to be blind, but his disability is incidental to the story, making this book an excellent choice in a kindergarten through primary grade setting.
A teacher of children with visual disabilities in Baltimore County Public Schools for 24 years, the author’s background strengthens her story. Davis based this book on a child, Brian Lavon Johnson, who was her student from 1994 to 1997. Brian’s Bird features a Black family which includes Brian, his brother Kevin, their parents, and grandmother. In addition to avoiding stereotypes about people who are blind, the book does not engage in stereotypes about urban Black families—that they are broken or impoverished—and instead presents a loving, supportive Black family.
On the first page, Brian is illustrated using a walking stick while also holding a soccer ball as he trails behind his older brother. This powerful image conveys from the very beginning that, while Brian is blind, he is an active child, just as other children his age. Johnson’s illustrations are bright and warm, and he captures beautifully the expressions of the characters in the book.
In setting forth guidelines for analyzing story lines in children’s literature featuring people with disabilities, Nasatir and Horn (2003) argue, “To gain acceptance and approval, the child with a disability should not have to exhibit extraordinary qualities,” such as supernatural powers or uncanny talents (p. 7). Indeed, in this book, the same story could be told if Brian the protagonist were not blind. Furthermore, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL, 2013) cautions against books that “evoke pity, sorrow or sentimentality toward” people with disabilities. Brian’s Bird is largely about a sibling relationship; Kevin is more careless than Brian, with the climax of the story occurring when Brian’s bird escapes through a door that Kevin has left open. Brian is portrayed as a child with integrity, warmth, and care. Children with siblings will relate to Brian and Kevin’s conflict. When their grandmother urges Brian to comment upon the good things about his older brother, Brian remarks, “Sometimes he takes me for ice cream, and he never lets anyone pick on me.” While this remark could allude to bullying related to his blindness, it is open to interpretation and rings true for any child who is bossed around by other children.
Upon rereading the book, I realized that Davis never uses the word “blind.” In explaining Brian’s disability, the narrator describes, “Brian couldn’t see anything now, but long ago, when he was four or five, he had been able to see a little. He always asked what new things looked like. And he always wanted to know what color they were.” While this statement is wistful, expressing Brian’s desire to picture his surroundings, this description does not reduce Brian to a pitiable character. Rather, we see Brian as a curious child intent on exploring and knowing the world around him; in this way, Davis promotes a “one of us” rather than “one of them” attitude about her protagonist.
According to Blaska (2000), “Many professionals indicated they would include literature about a disability only when a child with a disability became a member of their class” (as cited in ADL, 2013). I would enthusiastically recommend Brian’s Bird as a book for any child, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, because it presents an emotionally rich narrative with beautiful descriptions and illustrations. In my class, I would read this book especially to children who are not blind, to help normalize children with disabilities and build empathy and understanding toward those who may at first seem drastically different from them.
References
Anti-Defamation League. (2013). Evaluating children’s books that address disability. Retrieved
from https://www.adl.org/sites/default/fil...
Nasatir, D. & Horn, E. (2003). Addressing disability as a part of diversity: Through classroom
children’s literature. Young Exceptional Children, 6(4), 2-10.
A teacher of children with visual disabilities in Baltimore County Public Schools for 24 years, the author’s background strengthens her story. Davis based this book on a child, Brian Lavon Johnson, who was her student from 1994 to 1997. Brian’s Bird features a Black family which includes Brian, his brother Kevin, their parents, and grandmother. In addition to avoiding stereotypes about people who are blind, the book does not engage in stereotypes about urban Black families—that they are broken or impoverished—and instead presents a loving, supportive Black family.
On the first page, Brian is illustrated using a walking stick while also holding a soccer ball as he trails behind his older brother. This powerful image conveys from the very beginning that, while Brian is blind, he is an active child, just as other children his age. Johnson’s illustrations are bright and warm, and he captures beautifully the expressions of the characters in the book.
In setting forth guidelines for analyzing story lines in children’s literature featuring people with disabilities, Nasatir and Horn (2003) argue, “To gain acceptance and approval, the child with a disability should not have to exhibit extraordinary qualities,” such as supernatural powers or uncanny talents (p. 7). Indeed, in this book, the same story could be told if Brian the protagonist were not blind. Furthermore, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL, 2013) cautions against books that “evoke pity, sorrow or sentimentality toward” people with disabilities. Brian’s Bird is largely about a sibling relationship; Kevin is more careless than Brian, with the climax of the story occurring when Brian’s bird escapes through a door that Kevin has left open. Brian is portrayed as a child with integrity, warmth, and care. Children with siblings will relate to Brian and Kevin’s conflict. When their grandmother urges Brian to comment upon the good things about his older brother, Brian remarks, “Sometimes he takes me for ice cream, and he never lets anyone pick on me.” While this remark could allude to bullying related to his blindness, it is open to interpretation and rings true for any child who is bossed around by other children.
Upon rereading the book, I realized that Davis never uses the word “blind.” In explaining Brian’s disability, the narrator describes, “Brian couldn’t see anything now, but long ago, when he was four or five, he had been able to see a little. He always asked what new things looked like. And he always wanted to know what color they were.” While this statement is wistful, expressing Brian’s desire to picture his surroundings, this description does not reduce Brian to a pitiable character. Rather, we see Brian as a curious child intent on exploring and knowing the world around him; in this way, Davis promotes a “one of us” rather than “one of them” attitude about her protagonist.
According to Blaska (2000), “Many professionals indicated they would include literature about a disability only when a child with a disability became a member of their class” (as cited in ADL, 2013). I would enthusiastically recommend Brian’s Bird as a book for any child, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, because it presents an emotionally rich narrative with beautiful descriptions and illustrations. In my class, I would read this book especially to children who are not blind, to help normalize children with disabilities and build empathy and understanding toward those who may at first seem drastically different from them.
References
Anti-Defamation League. (2013). Evaluating children’s books that address disability. Retrieved
from https://www.adl.org/sites/default/fil...
Nasatir, D. & Horn, E. (2003). Addressing disability as a part of diversity: Through classroom
children’s literature. Young Exceptional Children, 6(4), 2-10.
April 22, 2020
Brian’s Bird is a lovely tale about an adventure of a blind boy named Brian. Written by Patricia A. Davis, this children’s book tells Brian’s attempt to take care of his pet parakeet, Scratchy. Even though he can’t see Scratchy, Brian can play with him and teach him new tricks. However, Scratchy makes his way out of the cage and flies outside. With the help of his grandma, Brian attempts to find poor Scratchy. I rated this book five stars because it teaches children about blindness, and how people with this disability use it as a superpower to go about their days. The storyline is interesting enough for young readers as well. Furthermore, Davis does a great job at captivating young readers through the family and pet chaos.
December 16, 2015
Brian is blind boy who receives a parakeet for his birthday, and teaches him to talk and do some simple tricks. This children's book is a good read for several reasons. It teaches us about the way a blind person learns about his world, and how a handicapped child interacts with a sibling, family and his world. I read this aloud to my nine year old grandson and discussed it with him. Just a pleasant shared reading experience.
April 14, 2012
This is a story about a blind boy and his bird that he got for his birthday. I would read this book to students to talk about different disabilities. This is a good book to showcase abilities that blind people possess.
January 12, 2012
Book that delves into the lives of a family with one child with blindness. He loves his bird and learns to get along better with his borther.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews