The story of when a child’s imagination takes flight.
When Abby finds two warm, round stones in the backyard, she “adopts” them, pretending they’re unhatched birds. She lovingly builds them a cozy nest and watches over them constantly until one day she imagines that with a crick and a crack, the stones hatch to reveal two gray chicks. With a flourish of her paintbrush, Abby colors the birds yellow, blue, and green, and proceeds to take excellent care of them.
Then the make-believe birds stop singing. Soon they also stop eating, and when they start to lose their feathers Abby realizes it is time to let them go. She waves goodbye as they fly off. But every morning, two new birds appear at the window and sing to Abby.
Reviews
“Tsiang portrays the life cycle of imagination with a deft touch; Leng’s pictures capture both mirth and motion. Lovely.”
—Kirkus Reviews, 08/12
“This is a simple yet profound story of a child and her vivid imagination.”
—School Library Journal, 12/12
“This book will appeal to all four-to eight-year-old stone-loving children and will speak to the hearts of their parents.”
—Canadian Children’s Book News, 11/12
“… readers of all ages will enjoy following Abby’s crazy antics and appreciate the humour and heart of this story.”
—CM Reviews, 11/12
“Tsiang and Leng are masters of the preschool mindset.”
—Perogies & Gyoza, 07/17/12
“When an author captures the magic of a child’s imagination as deftly as Sarah Tsiang has done …, the result is absolute enchantment.”
—2ndgradereading.net, 10/12
“… can encourage creativity, imagination, creative play, and finding joy in simple things … Highly recommended!”
—cherylrainfield.com, 12/04/12
“… a beautifully told story about the power of the imagination and the emotions of love, loss, and joy.”
—Resource Links, 12/12