Free

by Barroux

A celebration of thinking outside the box—or cage!

The Great Bird Circus is headed to a big show, but they run into trouble when they reach the border. Paloma and the ringmaster are allowed to cross—but their birds need paperwork, and lots of it! The situation seems hopeless, unless … what if there’s more than one way to get across?

With Paloma’s quick and creative thinking, she’s able to outwit the bureaucracy and come up with a solution: they free the birds from their cages, and while Paloma and the ringmaster drive across the border in their truck, the birds fly overhead! When the circus is reunited on the other side, Paloma suggests the birds don’t need cages—they can fly free.

Minimal text, light humor, and loose illustrations work together to express big ideas simply in this uplifting story that prizes problem-solving and creative thinking.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 15, 2022

About the author

Barroux is a Paris-based illustrator whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and elsewhere.

Reviews

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5. It was a nice read about liberty and also in a second level of thoughts about the absurdity of society in some way. Nothing extraordinary but fun!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy the illustrations in this picture book, but I feel that the intended audience for this book begins with older elementary children as the text feels too complicated for younger children. My four-year old grandchild did not enjoy this book when I read it to him, so I added my own story to the end.

The Great Bird Circus consists of a young girl playing a fancy musical instrument while the performer does tricks with his birds. Complete with a yellow and red big top tent, the performance is a hit with the audience. After their performance, they pack up. The circus is now headed to the border, for tomorrow they will be playing for the governor! You can feel the excitement in the air as the birds’ chirp and the truck honks as they travel down the road but wait! The excitement comes to an end when they reach the Border Patrol Crossing. Do they have all the paperwork to cross the border? The girl and the man can move across, but the birds are missing tons, and I mean tons of documents to cross the border. As they explained the reason for their trip, the guard’s reaction of, “Not my problem” really hit home with me. Feeling defeated, they ponder what to do until the little girl comes up with an idea which saves the day. The ending of the book is fantastic. 4 stars

[MookNana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great concept and a story with a good message that could spark many important conversations. That said, there's something a bit "off" in the prose. The plot and language are blunt and straightforward, without much artistry or nuance. I wonder if this was translated from another language? Some of the technical jargon is complex, too, which means it will need to be read to its intended audience by an adult reading partner. That said, with a lively reader the story could be very expressive and humorous! Kids will likely enjoy contributing some of the sounds called for on the pages. It could be worth a try for early elementary.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Readers get front row seats for a Bird Circus that travels and performs. They need to cross a border to another country and are met at the border by requests for a ridiculous amount of paperwork for the birds to enter the country. The young girl, Paloma, comes up with a way to have the birds to join them after they cross the border. Humor for younger readers and pointed commentary for more mature ones. The artwork lets readers see beyond the text to what is actually happening. I love the final humorous statement on the last page.

[Bozhena Levine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the Owlkids Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This wonderful book is about a circus performer and his assistant trying to cross the border into a different country/region and are met with a problem when the birds they travel with are not allowed to cross. The book says more with images than it does with words and is a reminder that a change in perspective may result in an unexpected way to solve a problem.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is an expression that says something like, "If you set something free and it comes back to you then you know it was meant to be. If you set something free and it doesn't come back then it wasn't meant to be." In just a few pages and words this book shows that the expression is true and sometimes people and governments try to complicate things to such a point of ridiculousness that we need to go back to the basics. Love. Freedom. Beauty.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not much text to this one. The story concept is good but falls a little short for a read aloud. The text is hard to read on a couple of the pages where there is text. The pictures were unique but not that appealing for smaller kids.

[Shauna Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story about a bird circus that has some difficulties getting to their next performance. The text is a bit wordy on the page where they encounter the border guard, other than that it is an enjoyable book.

[Oxalis · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a picture book, this story gives early readers a quick look into independent thinking and problem-solving in a world where rules can seem to only hold you back from your goals. I enjoyed it and would consider adding it to the young freethinker's bookshelf.

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.