Only: The Bird Who Liked Being Alone

by Airlie Anderson

In the tradition of The Quiet Book , Only is the story of a bird who likes being alone, but doesn’t want to be lonely.

Only likes quiet time, and they definitely like being alone. All the other birds are too loud and too rough! Only decides to create a peaceful space that's just for them, but when a friend shows up wanting to try some quiet time too, the two birds must figure out a way to be sure no one feels left out.

In this companion title to  Neither , Airlie Anderson shows readers that it's okay to sometimes be noisy, to sometimes be quiet, to sometimes be together, and to sometimes be alone—as long as no one is made to feel lonely.

Genres: Picture Books, Birds, Childrens, Friendship, Storytime, Animals, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published February 6, 2024

About the author

Airlie Anderson is the author and illustrator of Neither, Cat’s Colors, and Momo and Snap Are Not Friends. She grew up in California and spent a lot of time reading and drawing, as well as swimming and pretending to ride a horse. Her early influences were animation art, pop art, and comics.

​Airlie attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where she majored in illustration and focused on children’s books, a natural choice given her love for saturated color and expressive characters.

​She now lives in beautiful, underrated New Jersey with her family, and enjoys the close proximity to New York City (book country)! She is the recipient of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, the Independent Publisher Book Award, and the Practical Preschool award.

Reviews

[Karen]

Being alone and being lonely are 2 different things. Sometimes loud sounds or noises may be hard to handle, and so, it is easier to be alone. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are lonely.

Only, the bird, knows this well. And, thus it becomes confusing for his other bird friends to understand. But Only, the bird, has a way of showing them. And, in so doing, everyone learns about the beauty of savoring alone time, but still having others in your life.

This is a wonderful little illustrated story that helps kids understand the difference between alone and lonely.

Reading level: 4 – 8 years – Grade Level: Preschool – 3rd grade

[Bookishrealm]

As an adult I feel validated…

This is a love letter to every person who’s ever felt as though they prefer to be alone to being amongst a lot of people. I’m so happy that Anderson points out that preference in being alone does not equate to loneliness. I prefer to be alone and people think I’m lonely but to be honest, I quite enjoy the solitude.

[Angie]

Love this book! Perfect for explaining that sometimes we want to be alone… but not lonely ❤️

[Deb]

This one speaks to the introvert in me. Charming, colorful illustrations and the story is quite good. I love the idea of a "quiet nest". Another one to add to your bookshelf for the littles.

[Katie Slivensky]

I brought this book home two days ago. My 2.5 year old loves books. We read together all the time, and he frequently piles up books to look through on his own, too. He is a quiet kid who is quite friendly, but often prefers to watch kids play than to join in himself. He observes situations for a long time before joining in, and then he likes to take calm breaks after.

Basically, this book was made for him. I could see that, which is why I bought it! But I was NOT expecting the degree of his response!

I brought the book home and instead of reading it once, then reading his next book (we'll go through a dozen books at a time), he wanted me to read it again. Then again. Then again. He was GLUED to the pages. We read it 11 times in a row. And we have read no other books for two days now besides this one. We must've read this at least 40 times by now, easily.

It's amazing to witness my child find the first book that speaks so deeply to his soul. He clearly sees himself in the story. He'll comment about Only, pointing at Only and saying things like, "Only doesn't need help. Only is okay alone. Only just needs space, please." He is obsessed with this book! It's magical to observe.

Anyway, a CLEAR 5 star review. And a huge thank you to Airlie Anderson, who has put into this world a very needed and already beloved book.

[Roben]

Only is a bird that lives in a tree with several other birds. All the other birds are rather loud and noisy - while Only prefers to be quiet. The other birds try to include Only in their games and activities - but Only becomes a bit overwhelmed with their noise and attention. Only builds a quiet nest - a place where they can read and draw. The other birds assume Only wants to be lonely - but really, they just want things to be quiet and calm. One bird, Squawky, needs a break from activities and pays Only a visit. They learn that they can be quiet together and that Only actually has a lovely singing voice! Soon the other birds notice and realize that being quiet has benefits. And that Only doesn't want to be lonely - just quiet. Different is OK!

[McKenzie Richardson]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

Another great picture book from Anderson with lovely messages about accepting differences and celebrating all.

The artwork is lovely. Whimsical and fun.

Wonderful emphasis on personal preferences and the difference between being alone and being lonely. It was also nice to see representation of how preferences can change depending on the situation or mood. We don't necessarily always want to be either loud or quiet.

A sweet celebration of having a quiet space and time to yourself without being lonely.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris]

Brief summary: In the tree, there are many birds that are loud and chatty. However, one bird named Only prefers to be quiet and spend time alone. The other birds feel sorry for Only and try to include them in their activities, but they end up overwhelming Only.

Only builds a quiet nest. The friends learn about the difference between quiet and loud, gaining a new understanding that some prefer solitude and are not lonely.

Comments: The illustrations were created using cut-paper collages, acrylics, and pencil crayons with some digital finishing.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

[Suebee]

As an introvert myself, I appreciated this tale and I recommend it for school library or classroom purchase.

It would be wonderful to introduce a classroom discussion in elementary school
Of why there might be “quiet times” during the day or “quiet spaces” and why they’re necessary. Also to discuss introverts / extroverts and why we should respect everyone’s needs.

Brightly colored illustrations also make this highly appealing.

[Sylvia Chen]

There's so much to love about this book about liking quiet time! With cute bird characters and adorable and colorful art, this story addresses the difference between being alone versus lonely and shows in a delighful way how to embrace personal preferences and understand friends' needs for sharing space and time. Along with the wonderful visuals, the writing shines for its use of lovely literary devices, darling dialogue, and concise and effective wording. Such a delightful read!

[Erin]

FINALLY!!!!! A book that captures the meaning of INTROVERT. So many books about being shy are passed off as books about introverts, and that is incorrect. This book is about being an introvert. Only enjoys the company of other birds. He is not lonely; he simply enjoys time by himself and helps others understand this.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin]

In this story, a flock of birds discovers their favorite blends of quiet/noisy and alone/together, plus an appreciation of each other’s differences, interests, and individual talents. The colorful gouache illustrations show how birds of a feather don’t always flock together, and that’s okay.

[Mark Will Never Cry]

Pretty good children book about how some kids would rather be quiet than noisy, but they would still like to hang out with others. It was nice, I do not really have much else to say.

[Steph]

Turn/Level: 1/3

Respect for Differences, Like what you Like

A cute story that shows how it's okay to like different things, and to respect and try out what others like.

[Elizabeth]

This is so me.

[L M]

Beautiful bright gouache illustrations

A gentle exploration of personality and coexisting and being friends with those who are different (quiet vs loud)

[Annese]

I feel seen.

[Savanna Kultgen]

Negative Elements:none

[Molly]

Only is a bird who likes to spend time alone but not be lonely. The other birds don't understand at first but learn to appreciate and respect it. A lovely story about introversion.

[Felice Lam]

Super cute book with colorful birds about introversion being totally cool! :)

[Viviane Elbee]

Cute book about a little bird who likes peace and quiet sometimes. I love the opening - “once upon a tree there was a chattering of birds.”

Illustrations are adorable too.

[Emily Carlyn]

A good story to start a discussion on being alone vs. being lonely.

[Lexi]

I really appreciate these recent picture books that explain introversion to young children. Whether or not they influence behavior for the better remains to be seen, but I admire the effort.

[Y.Poston]

A lovely exploration of a very enjoyable quietness and sometimes aloneness,
debunking the myth that alone automatically means lonely

[Alyssa Mandell]

A very cute book about how it is ok to be alone or like the quiet. A book for introverts everywhere.

[Chelle]

Very sweet book about finding a balance between being with others and by yourself.

[Rolf]

A lovely exploration of introversion for kids.

[Abbigail]

Cute book with adorable illustrations about being an introvert, being quiet, and being yourself without having to be lonely.

[Dana]

I adore this book and wish it had been around when I was a kid.

[Grg]

Only's quiet nest is the stuff of dream .