The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Prévert, Jacques

How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird

40 pp. | Roaring Brook | October, 2007 | Trade ISBN 978-1-59643-215-4 $14.95

(2) K-3 Translated by Mordicai Gerstein. Illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. Mid-twentieth-century poet Prévert provides an exploration of creative expression. The child Gerstein depicts is inspired by a songbird, which follows him, hovering out of reach but apparently admiring his painting. Pen-and-ink illustrations, enriched with soft colors and tenderly contained within the small, square book, reflect the boy's dedication, perseverance, and finally joy when the bird bursts into song.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2008