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How to Make a Bird
Extraordinary imagery and rich language spark the reader's imagination as they enter the creative world of a young girl.
From award-winning author Meg McKinlay and celebrated artist Matt Ottley comes a moving and visually stunning picture book that celebrates the transformative power of the creative process from inception through recognition to celebration and releasing into the world. We shadow the protagonist as she contemplates the blue print of an idea, collects the things that inspire from the natural world to shape a bird. And breathes life into it before letting it fly free. Sometimes small things, combined with a little imagination and a steady heart, can transform into works of magic.
From award-winning author Meg McKinlay and celebrated artist Matt Ottley comes a moving and visually stunning picture book that celebrates the transformative power of the creative process from inception through recognition to celebration and releasing into the world. We shadow the protagonist as she contemplates the blue print of an idea, collects the things that inspire from the natural world to shape a bird. And breathes life into it before letting it fly free. Sometimes small things, combined with a little imagination and a steady heart, can transform into works of magic.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2020
118 people want to read
About the author
Meg McKinlay
25 books68 followersMeg McKinlay is a children's writer and poet living in Fremantle, Western Australia.
She has published twenty-five books for young people, ranging from picture books through to young adult novels, and a collection of poetry for adults. Her work has won awards including the Prime Minister's Literary Award, the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award, and the WA Premier's Book Award, among others.
A former academic, swimming teacher, Japanese interpreter and tour guide, Meg has accidentally lived her life in accordance with the song lyrics, "If you see a strange door to your left/then drop your things and run for it"*, which is how she found herself wrangling words for a living. Meg has no plans to drop writing, though, and is always cooking up more books.
* From 'Wildflowers', by Things of Stone and Wood
She has published twenty-five books for young people, ranging from picture books through to young adult novels, and a collection of poetry for adults. Her work has won awards including the Prime Minister's Literary Award, the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award, and the WA Premier's Book Award, among others.
A former academic, swimming teacher, Japanese interpreter and tour guide, Meg has accidentally lived her life in accordance with the song lyrics, "If you see a strange door to your left/then drop your things and run for it"*, which is how she found herself wrangling words for a living. Meg has no plans to drop writing, though, and is always cooking up more books.
* From 'Wildflowers', by Things of Stone and Wood
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
October 16, 2020
Sigh. Some books just leave a mark, don’t they? Stunningly illustrated by Matt Ottley, I kept caressing the pages as I read and reread this beautiful creation. It’s filled with the wonder of the creative spirit, the magic that comes from seeing something as you’d hope it could be and then bringing that to life. This is special.
March 26, 2021
3.5 stars. Gorgeous illustrations and a thoughtful examination of the creative process - but I am not sure how many students will "get" this. I didn't connect with this one as much as I expected from all the rave reviews I had seen.
April 2, 2021
Richie’s Picks: HOW TO MAKE A BIRD by Meg McKinlay and Matt Ottley, Candlewick, April 2021, 32p., ISBN: 978-1-5362-1526-7
“All I know she sang a little while
and then flew on”
-- Hunter/Garcia, “Bird Song” (1972)
“To make a bird…
you will need a lot of very tiny bones.
They will be smaller than you might imagine,
some so tiny they are barely there.
And they will be hollow,
these hundreds of bones--
so light
that when they rest in your palm,
you will hardly feel them.
These are what will float on air.”
Hollow bones, feathers, a fast-beating, sturdy heart, sharp eyes, a beak, and strong claws. These attributes are the stuff of which birds are made, and the focus of this exquisite and lyrical work-of-art picture book from Australia. In it, a girl assembles the parts discussed, and the resulting bird comes to life and flies away.
My love for this book begins with the cover. It features birds soaring high in the sky as dusk approaches. Tip the book into the light in order to see the semi-transparent bird schematic drawings that overlay that sky scene. Inside, the illustrations include breathtaking, intricate drawings of bird bones; a whimsical oceanfront structure; the child inside that structure who dreams up and then assembles the bird components; and the creature she ultimately creates and unleashes, and to whom she must bid goodbye.
Birds are miraculous little creatures. HOW TO MAKE A BIRD, a notably creative and innovative work, depicts birds in a whole new light. What a beauty of a book!
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
“All I know she sang a little while
and then flew on”
-- Hunter/Garcia, “Bird Song” (1972)
“To make a bird…
you will need a lot of very tiny bones.
They will be smaller than you might imagine,
some so tiny they are barely there.
And they will be hollow,
these hundreds of bones--
so light
that when they rest in your palm,
you will hardly feel them.
These are what will float on air.”
Hollow bones, feathers, a fast-beating, sturdy heart, sharp eyes, a beak, and strong claws. These attributes are the stuff of which birds are made, and the focus of this exquisite and lyrical work-of-art picture book from Australia. In it, a girl assembles the parts discussed, and the resulting bird comes to life and flies away.
My love for this book begins with the cover. It features birds soaring high in the sky as dusk approaches. Tip the book into the light in order to see the semi-transparent bird schematic drawings that overlay that sky scene. Inside, the illustrations include breathtaking, intricate drawings of bird bones; a whimsical oceanfront structure; the child inside that structure who dreams up and then assembles the bird components; and the creature she ultimately creates and unleashes, and to whom she must bid goodbye.
Birds are miraculous little creatures. HOW TO MAKE A BIRD, a notably creative and innovative work, depicts birds in a whole new light. What a beauty of a book!
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
November 3, 2020
Een uitgestrekte vlakte, een enkel meisje, een huis.
De eerste impressie als je naar de voorkant van Hoe maak je een vogel? kijkt, is die van een uitgestrekte vlakte en leegte. Als we het boek openen zien we dat de leegte zich ook binnen voortzet, een enkele kamer, met een bed en een rommelig bureau waar een angstaanjagend vissenskelet op te zien is. En in het midden, hetzelfde meisje, ze kijkt uit het raam. Droomt ze van iets?
De tekst in dit prentenboeken geeft ons een letterlijk stappenplan, hoe maak je een vogel? Met honderden botjes, holle lichte botjes. En veren, een speciaal lange veer voor de staart. Dan heeft het vogel nog een hart nodig; een sterk en stevig hart. En een touwtje om alles bij elkaar te houden.
Maar er is meer nodig dan een aantal onderdelen om iets te maken:
“Maar als je hem nog eens bekijkt,
en hem daar standbeeldkoud ziet zitten
dan weet je dat een vogel meer is
dan de onderdelen die jij hem gaf.”
Hoe maak je een vogel leert de lezer dat ergens van dromen meer is dan alleen onderdelen verzamelen voor een eindresultaat. Het is ook verbeelding en een beetje magie.
Op Books & Macchiatos is nu mijn volledige recensie te lezen. Link in bio!
De eerste impressie als je naar de voorkant van Hoe maak je een vogel? kijkt, is die van een uitgestrekte vlakte en leegte. Als we het boek openen zien we dat de leegte zich ook binnen voortzet, een enkele kamer, met een bed en een rommelig bureau waar een angstaanjagend vissenskelet op te zien is. En in het midden, hetzelfde meisje, ze kijkt uit het raam. Droomt ze van iets?
De tekst in dit prentenboeken geeft ons een letterlijk stappenplan, hoe maak je een vogel? Met honderden botjes, holle lichte botjes. En veren, een speciaal lange veer voor de staart. Dan heeft het vogel nog een hart nodig; een sterk en stevig hart. En een touwtje om alles bij elkaar te houden.
Maar er is meer nodig dan een aantal onderdelen om iets te maken:
“Maar als je hem nog eens bekijkt,
en hem daar standbeeldkoud ziet zitten
dan weet je dat een vogel meer is
dan de onderdelen die jij hem gaf.”
Hoe maak je een vogel leert de lezer dat ergens van dromen meer is dan alleen onderdelen verzamelen voor een eindresultaat. Het is ook verbeelding en een beetje magie.
Op Books & Macchiatos is nu mijn volledige recensie te lezen. Link in bio!
October 29, 2020
I’m pretty sure this is only my second picture book review but I’m going to be adding more as I read them because I think I’ve been wrong to skip reviewing them. They are an important part of my classroom repertoire and deserve the same attention as other books I review.
This visually stunning and deeply moving book shows it’s reader the creative steps taken from idea to design, from production to the final reveal - the setting free of the deeply personal artistic pursuit.
Evie and I read it together and we both gasped, sighed and cheered for the dear little bird who stars in this visually glorious book.
And then Evie read it again. And again. Very, very highly recommended for picture book lovers of every age.
This visually stunning and deeply moving book shows it’s reader the creative steps taken from idea to design, from production to the final reveal - the setting free of the deeply personal artistic pursuit.
Evie and I read it together and we both gasped, sighed and cheered for the dear little bird who stars in this visually glorious book.
And then Evie read it again. And again. Very, very highly recommended for picture book lovers of every age.
October 15, 2021
I don't usually enjoy books like this: Poetic, written for adults, not with children in mind. But this... this is a quiet little thing that slowly grew on me. I liked it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVWSH...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVWSH...
June 3, 2021
It's a jumbled metaphor for the creative process that reduces the huge range of birds into one bird — one that might be representative of a real species but isn't one I recognize. It completely erases flightless birds in the process.
The description reads like the "Making of a Man" — an alchemic recipe immortalized in a variety of works of art from Full Metal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa (2002) to Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith (2006).
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comm...
The description reads like the "Making of a Man" — an alchemic recipe immortalized in a variety of works of art from Full Metal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa (2002) to Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith (2006).
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comm...
July 9, 2021
This is a book for makers and dreamers. The lyrical text can be read as an instruction manual, but it doesn’t stop there. The lovely language invites the reader to occupy a place of creativity and imagination. HOW TO MAKE A BIRD inspires wonder and amazement for birds, which deepens into a metaphor for being the creator of your hopes and dreams. The ink drawings, at times whimsical, inspiring, and filled with awe, make this book take wing. A deeply compelling read!
Read
November 3, 2020Stunning, wonderful, this book is one to treasure.
July 28, 2021
It is fine. I categorize books like these as "technically a children's book, but written with adults in mind."
December 13, 2021
Lyrical and breathtaking. More narrative verse than prose but the illustrations and simple text are generously informative. Open it.
*I just read a few 3 and less star reviews to see why it was rated so much lower than I expected and a common refrain was, " written with adults in mind." I don't refute reviews as a general rule but in this case, I wanted to offer a POV. I think we underestimate children by saying they won't get this. It may not be interesting to all children but no book is. I would have poured over this book again and again as a child and it is my belief that dreamers, little artists, and the questioners will absolutely feel something for this book, even if they don't "get it." Kids don't need to get books, they just need to feel something from them, or perhaps question what they thought they already knew. As I see it, this book has anatomy, physics, creativity, and ornithology-- something for most kids. The illustrations are both magical and scientifically accurate. Books that are hipster retellings of classics, books that have adult humor rather than a layer of adult humor, those are books written for adults. But there are so many layers to this book, so many ways to approach it, and so many feelings evoked, that I think kids will accept it as is without having to "get" that it's about creativity.
*I just read a few 3 and less star reviews to see why it was rated so much lower than I expected and a common refrain was, " written with adults in mind." I don't refute reviews as a general rule but in this case, I wanted to offer a POV. I think we underestimate children by saying they won't get this. It may not be interesting to all children but no book is. I would have poured over this book again and again as a child and it is my belief that dreamers, little artists, and the questioners will absolutely feel something for this book, even if they don't "get it." Kids don't need to get books, they just need to feel something from them, or perhaps question what they thought they already knew. As I see it, this book has anatomy, physics, creativity, and ornithology-- something for most kids. The illustrations are both magical and scientifically accurate. Books that are hipster retellings of classics, books that have adult humor rather than a layer of adult humor, those are books written for adults. But there are so many layers to this book, so many ways to approach it, and so many feelings evoked, that I think kids will accept it as is without having to "get" that it's about creativity.
December 6, 2020
This book is quite stunning - unique, imaginative and hopeful - as a young girl gathers together all the things needed to make a bird - bones, feathers, eyes, wings and so on, and then the final component - breath to give it flight.
McKinlay's prose is lyrical and perfectly spaced to build tension and expectation. Ottley's illustrations are perfect and take the story to new places as it spurs the imagination.
There are numerous sub texts in this story that unfold visually - the girl's location, treasures, and imaginative vision for starters. The skeletal diagrams on the title page and the soft and subtle end papers all add further dimensions to this amazing picture book - a book for all ages.
McKinlay's prose is lyrical and perfectly spaced to build tension and expectation. Ottley's illustrations are perfect and take the story to new places as it spurs the imagination.
There are numerous sub texts in this story that unfold visually - the girl's location, treasures, and imaginative vision for starters. The skeletal diagrams on the title page and the soft and subtle end papers all add further dimensions to this amazing picture book - a book for all ages.
April 5, 2021
"Breath deeply
and take your time.
The making of a bird
is not a thing
to be hurried."
I love entering in this rich imaginative world of a young girl as she sets out to make a bird. She is out exploring a beach all on here own and discovers some bird bones, and sets out to make a bird. She carefully seeks out other nature items from her collection to add to her bird, creating something entirely unique. The illustrations depict both the actual bird the girl put together, and then it transforming to a real bird of her design. The lyrical text add calm and wonder to this gentle story about creativity, simplicity, and even mindfulness. It's fascinating and stunning!
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book by Candlewick Press. Opinions are my own.
and take your time.
The making of a bird
is not a thing
to be hurried."
I love entering in this rich imaginative world of a young girl as she sets out to make a bird. She is out exploring a beach all on here own and discovers some bird bones, and sets out to make a bird. She carefully seeks out other nature items from her collection to add to her bird, creating something entirely unique. The illustrations depict both the actual bird the girl put together, and then it transforming to a real bird of her design. The lyrical text add calm and wonder to this gentle story about creativity, simplicity, and even mindfulness. It's fascinating and stunning!
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book by Candlewick Press. Opinions are my own.
November 7, 2021
Unfortunately, I seem to be one of the few who didn't enjoy this picture book!
The illustrations were nice enough, but I really struggled with the story. It strangely reminded me of some of Rupi Kaur's poetry, in that the sentences sound quite pretty but have very little substance of meaning. I think the intended message of How to Make a Bird might have been along the lines of Yamada's 'What Do You Do with an Idea?', but I didn't find it at all successful like that book is at painting the power of imagination and creativity.
This one is a very personal critique, but I found the idea of a child collecting bird bones and remains and reassembling them into the form of a living bird a little...creepy?
Take my review with a grain of salt though, as the majority seems to be against me!
The illustrations were nice enough, but I really struggled with the story. It strangely reminded me of some of Rupi Kaur's poetry, in that the sentences sound quite pretty but have very little substance of meaning. I think the intended message of How to Make a Bird might have been along the lines of Yamada's 'What Do You Do with an Idea?', but I didn't find it at all successful like that book is at painting the power of imagination and creativity.
This one is a very personal critique, but I found the idea of a child collecting bird bones and remains and reassembling them into the form of a living bird a little...creepy?
Take my review with a grain of salt though, as the majority seems to be against me!
November 12, 2021
Een mooi boek over een kindje dat een vogeltje gaat maken van allerlei dingen, van botjes tot metaal, van alles komt aan bod zodat er een mooi vogeltje kan worden gemaakt... wat daarna gebeurde was magisch en mooi en ik vond het prachtig om die transitie te zien.
Ook mooie illustraties (al vroeg ik me wel heel vaak af hoe het huis nog stond). De tekst was lyrisch, soms misschien een tikje té langdradig en daardoor ben ik ook zeker blij met de illustraties want die hielden mijn aandacht net iets meer. Maar zeker een goede vertaling door Edward van de Vendel.
Ook mooie illustraties (al vroeg ik me wel heel vaak af hoe het huis nog stond). De tekst was lyrisch, soms misschien een tikje té langdradig en daardoor ben ik ook zeker blij met de illustraties want die hielden mijn aandacht net iets meer. Maar zeker een goede vertaling door Edward van de Vendel.
December 19, 2020
This book is the creators’ bird. It is simple magic. It is unexpected pleasure. It enchants and entrances as it guides us through the intriguing anatomy of birds and imagination. It is an ode to the natural world, of making and making do then moving on. It’s a transformative vision of life that every child and adult must experience.
Read my full review at: DIM'S re VIEWS: http://dimswritestuff.blogspot.com/20...
Read my full review at: DIM'S re VIEWS: http://dimswritestuff.blogspot.com/20...
November 5, 2020
This is the most beautiful picture book I have read in a while. The gentle storyline, taking the reader on a special journey of design and creation. The illustrations complement the text perfectly. How intricate bodies are - how precious life is. Careful planning, tender nurturing, attention to detail. Then letting go.
Recommended for all ages.
Recommended for all ages.
July 1, 2021
With a gently surrealist storyline and illustration reminiscent of Shaun Tan, this metaphor of creating art and sending it out into the world will strike an emotional chord with all creative people. I do agree with the other reviewers who say that the usual picture book audience will probably not connect with this in the same manner an adult will.
September 2, 2021
Love this book so much - used it as the focus for all my CBCA Book Week sessions in a Middle/Senior school library setting. Powerful message and so much value in discussing imagery / symbolism / allegory / tone / structure etc.. A well deserving award winner in the Picture Book of the Year category.
November 26, 2021
This book is perfect. I like the emotions I feel when I read this. Admiration, sadness, curiosity, and joy. This story encapsulates the wonder that is birds. It shows how fragile, and how strong they are. It highlights their ephemeral nature in our changing world. It explores their complexity, and it celebrates their mystery and their magic.
March 28, 2021
How to Make a Bird explores the creative process, from initial desire to create through to the fruition of all your efforts. It was lovely, thoughtful, and had all the beauty of a Matt Ottley project - but I’ve enjoyed other works by the author and artist more.
January 26, 2022
Beautiful illustrations made this a particularly enjoyable read in a book about the creative process. I do agree with other reviews though in that this feels like a picture book that is made more for adults.
Illustrations (by Matt Ottley) done in pigmented ink.
Illustrations (by Matt Ottley) done in pigmented ink.
February 26, 2022
This was lovely and somehow made me sad all at the same time.
"And feel your slowly beating heart fill with a kind of sadness, a kind of happiness. For this is when you will know that you have really made a bird."
"And feel your slowly beating heart fill with a kind of sadness, a kind of happiness. For this is when you will know that you have really made a bird."
April 16, 2022
Absolutely gorgeous art and a little bit creepy story (a la Frankenstein), packs a powerful emotional punch that maybe only adults will feel, since seeing the bird fly free is clearly a metaphor for seeing your children move out and get on with their adult lives.
November 2, 2020
My review of this book is/will soon be available on the CBCA's Reading Time website, www.readingtime.com.au
December 13, 2020
Beautiful, detailed drawings matched to poetic words. Quietly wonderful.
(with a special shoutout to makers as well!)
(with a special shoutout to makers as well!)
January 1, 2021
Beautiful metaphor for writing and being creative.
March 5, 2021
Perhaps more for adults than children but really quite beautiful. Love the illustrations.
April 21, 2021
Probably the most beautiful picture book I have seen. The words and the pictures come together seamlessly to create something magical.
May 13, 2021
Nice Art!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews