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Birds on Wishbone Street
A simple act of neighborly kindness and a bird that needs their aid helps former refugee Sami settle into his new community with new-found friend Moe.
Moe's neighbors on Wishbone Street come from all over the world, and she's excited to meet the new boy who just arrived from Syria. Sami isn't quite ready to talk about his past, but he loves birds just as much as Moe does. And who wouldn't have fun in a parkette full of packing snow? When the children discover a female cardinal stunned by the cold, Sami uses his experience taking care of pigeons in Syria to help rescue the bird―an incident that helps Sami to feel more at home.
In Birds on Wishbone Street, author/illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo demonstrates the power of an act of kindness, telling a story about finding home and making friends in new places. Illustrated with her signature polymer clay art, the story revisits characters from Del Rizzo's New York Times Notable My Beautiful Birds and reminds us that we're all more similar than we are different.
Moe's neighbors on Wishbone Street come from all over the world, and she's excited to meet the new boy who just arrived from Syria. Sami isn't quite ready to talk about his past, but he loves birds just as much as Moe does. And who wouldn't have fun in a parkette full of packing snow? When the children discover a female cardinal stunned by the cold, Sami uses his experience taking care of pigeons in Syria to help rescue the bird―an incident that helps Sami to feel more at home.
In Birds on Wishbone Street, author/illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo demonstrates the power of an act of kindness, telling a story about finding home and making friends in new places. Illustrated with her signature polymer clay art, the story revisits characters from Del Rizzo's New York Times Notable My Beautiful Birds and reminds us that we're all more similar than we are different.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published November 23, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 12, 2022
A lovely picture book featuring young and old neighbors of various cultures, living and playing together, with a focus on birdwatching, along Wishbone Street (an actual street in Toronto, ON). Since I just finished reading another Canadian book about Syrian immigrants, I was thrilled to read about Moe's new friend, Sami, a Syrian refugee who has recently moved into the neighborhood and shares Moe's love of birds. Included are directions for making bird suet treats and winter roosting pockets.
The illustrations are the real stars of this book! Made with polymer clay and acrylic glaze, they are reminiscent of Barbara Reid's Plasticine creations first introduced in the 1980s. One almost wants to reach out and touch the "3D" exquisitely-textured and highly-detailed pictures!
This would make a delightful read-aloud during the winter months for children ages 5-9. Be sure to allow the kiddos time to peruse the illustrations if you can tear yourself away from them first!
Thank you, Darla, for recommending this book!
The illustrations are the real stars of this book! Made with polymer clay and acrylic glaze, they are reminiscent of Barbara Reid's Plasticine creations first introduced in the 1980s. One almost wants to reach out and touch the "3D" exquisitely-textured and highly-detailed pictures!
This would make a delightful read-aloud during the winter months for children ages 5-9. Be sure to allow the kiddos time to peruse the illustrations if you can tear yourself away from them first!
Thank you, Darla, for recommending this book!
January 28, 2022
Wishbone street is a real place in Toronto. The author's husband grew up on this street where many immigrants found a home after an airfield was closed and repurposed. Told alongside gorgeous polymer clay art, an Irish-Canadian girl named Maureen (Moe) welcomes her new neighbor Sami who has moved all the way from Syria. They share their treasures and become friends. After they discover an almost frozen female cardinal in the new snow, they work together to nurse it back to health. To help all the neighborhood birds they make roosting pockets and suet feeders. Directions are included. This would be an incredible classroom resource for a bird unit and a reminder to welcome new neighbors.
December 10, 2021
Such a cute book with a kind message! Illustrations are fantastic!!
February 4, 2022
Great story of new friendships and shared interests.
January 15, 2022
This beautiful children's book on friendship and kindness takes place on a real street in Canada called Wishbone Street. The story is lovely, and the polymer clay art used for the illustrations are amazing. It is a great classroom read before collecting feathers, twigs, etc.and making birdfood.
January 27, 2022
The clay illustrations are incredible!
February 24, 2022
A nice story about friendship, togetherness and birds.
The unique clay illustrations are colorful and add dimension to the pictures. Love the over head shots.
The unique clay illustrations are colorful and add dimension to the pictures. Love the over head shots.
March 5, 2022
Fun book about reaching out and including others. I was completely impressed though by the artwork. I'll tell you what - my clay art was never that good!
July 25, 2022
A former refugee named Sami and his neighbor Moe bond and strike up a friendship when they come to the aid of a bird in distress. Lovely textural scenes created with polymer clay and acrylic.
February 16, 2022
2/16/22 - Really fantastic looking book about immigration and birds and friendship. I especially loved the pictures made out of polymer clay, but the story was great too. Beautiful book I wouldn't mind picking up for my grandchild.
February 8, 2022
The artwork is worth the read. It looked like wood carving at first but it's actually all done in clay! Two friends are brought together, one a refugee, and they find they both like birds. Very kind and welcoming story.
April 7, 2022
Moe helps Sami, a boy from Syria, feel welcome in the neighborhood, and they bond over their shared love of birds. The artwork in this book is something new to me - it's all photographs of clay art, masterfully detailed. Very cool!
November 17, 2021
I’m a sucker for clay art and feel good messages.
December 23, 2021
Best illustrations of 2021. Cool instructional in back on how to build roosting pockets for birds.
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January 4, 2022A beautiful story about welcoming a new neighbor, coming together as a community, and making connections. The clay illustrations are mesmerizing.
June 4, 2022
Narrator Irish-Canadian Maureen (Moe) lives on a diverse street where friendly neighbors speak many languages. When a new boy Sami arrives from Syria, Moe is at first shy, and waits for the right moment (snowflakes! packing snow!) to make an acquaintance with Sami. She brings him a welcome gift and he shares his treasured memory box from Syria. As the snow accumulates, Moe and Sami head outside and discover a stunned cardinal bird. Sami retrieves and empties his memory box, they put the stunned bird inside, and take it to the vet.
Sami and Moe with neighbor Mei share his Syrian memories with references to time in a refugee camp and pigeons he befriended in his previous land. A mission to help the birds in the snow ensues as the new friends bond over making suet feeders (recipe in back matter), as releasing the cardinal, Sami shares, "I think I will like it here."
Unique, vibrant, realistic clay art captures incredibly fine detail in the illustrations of the bird feathers and even the characters' facial expressions.
Sami and Moe with neighbor Mei share his Syrian memories with references to time in a refugee camp and pigeons he befriended in his previous land. A mission to help the birds in the snow ensues as the new friends bond over making suet feeders (recipe in back matter), as releasing the cardinal, Sami shares, "I think I will like it here."
Unique, vibrant, realistic clay art captures incredibly fine detail in the illustrations of the bird feathers and even the characters' facial expressions.
July 12, 2022
This is a nice nature-based and cross-cultural book celebrating neighborliness and care for the backyard ecosystem. A new boy arrives on Wishbone Street and he's a refugee from Syria who loves birds. As it turns out, Moe and the other children on Wishbone Street also enjoy birds and time spent outdoors. I love how children in this story find connections with one another on their own and the adults are around but not intervening. The friendships built here are wonderful and the kind that last. When winter comes, the children discover a stunned female Cardinal and Sami is able to draw on his previous experiences in Syria to help the bird recover. Then, all the children decide to work together and provide winter food (suet feeders) and winter roosting pockets for the birds in their park.
The illustrations here are actually mixed-media creations, mainly with clay, and provide a unique depth and character to the story. It's really remarkable to see all the little details on each page!
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher's Spotlight. Opinions are my own.
The illustrations here are actually mixed-media creations, mainly with clay, and provide a unique depth and character to the story. It's really remarkable to see all the little details on each page!
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher's Spotlight. Opinions are my own.
February 11, 2023
Here's to Suzanne Del Rizzo and her magnificent polymer clay art!
So heartwarming, the community we get to visit through this friendship-making book. I love this part:
"I dropped off some welcome gifts for the new kid."
On the block where I live in Northern Virginia, it's not such a friendly place. Yet I do try to welcome every new neighbor. Our block doesn't have that many houses... Still, I'm more likely to give a pretty card, or maybe a loaf of bread. Quite generous of those neighbors on Wishbone Street, offering green hand-knitted mittens and maybe a scarf, packets of hot chocolate, and a gorgeous blue mug.
OH, THEN THERE'S THE PICTURE!
I mean the one where two of the kids let snowflakes melt on their tongues.
Such creativity and beauty and freshness!
SO MANY TREASURES COME TO LIFE THROUGH THIS BOOK
My very favorite thing, though... even more than the astoundingly beautiful art; and the recipes for helping winter birds... oh, it's this-this-this:
We are all neighbors on Wishbone Street
So heartwarming, the community we get to visit through this friendship-making book. I love this part:
"I dropped off some welcome gifts for the new kid."
On the block where I live in Northern Virginia, it's not such a friendly place. Yet I do try to welcome every new neighbor. Our block doesn't have that many houses... Still, I'm more likely to give a pretty card, or maybe a loaf of bread. Quite generous of those neighbors on Wishbone Street, offering green hand-knitted mittens and maybe a scarf, packets of hot chocolate, and a gorgeous blue mug.
OH, THEN THERE'S THE PICTURE!
I mean the one where two of the kids let snowflakes melt on their tongues.
Such creativity and beauty and freshness!
SO MANY TREASURES COME TO LIFE THROUGH THIS BOOK
My very favorite thing, though... even more than the astoundingly beautiful art; and the recipes for helping winter birds... oh, it's this-this-this:
We are all neighbors on Wishbone Street
May 13, 2022
Amazing art and story. Moe’s curious about the new neighbor on Wishbone Street, but she’s a little shy. Then Moe discovers that the new kid loves birds as much as she does and a new friendship is forged.
June 3, 2022
Wow! There are so many good things going on here. I'm so impressed with how the author created depth in the clay illustrations, and I was riveted by the story. This would be a great storytime read, if it was condensed. PLAY, vocabulary, phonological awareness
June 8, 2022
The children in this book find that no matter where they are from, they can find interests they have in common and form friendships. A wonderful book for promoting kindness and friendship, even with those from different places.
June 28, 2022
What a beautiful story show that "we are better together" (author's note) and how communities can come together to lift each other up and help us feel safe.
The polymer clay art was also pretty amazing!
Thank you Pajama Press.
The polymer clay art was also pretty amazing!
Thank you Pajama Press.
March 21, 2022
Really well done story about children and birds. Loved the recipe in the back for suet, and the instructions for making a 'Winter Roosting Pocket'
March 22, 2022
Stunning clay art! Great pick for Winter and those interested in birds, as well as those who have moved to a new neighbourhood.
Read
March 23, 2022delightful exploration of new neighbors & birds
April 2, 2022
What a unique story of neighbors, acceptance, and love. The clay artwork pictures have a mesmerizing affect.
Bravo Suzanne Del Rizzo!
Thank you for the loan Franklin Public Library!
Bravo Suzanne Del Rizzo!
Thank you for the loan Franklin Public Library!
May 11, 2022
Good story of kindness toward strangers.
Polymer clay illustrations--WOW!
Polymer clay illustrations--WOW!
June 20, 2022
Moe and Sami bond over birds on Wishbone Street.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2022
It was an okay book. Didn't capture the kids attention. Very beautiful pictures though!
January 29, 2026
3.5 stars
Moe welcomes a new neighbor on Wishbone Street by sharing a love of birds
Moe welcomes a new neighbor on Wishbone Street by sharing a love of birds
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews