School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-One morning, a young bluebird is surprised to discover that the wind is missing. She has never flown without her friend, so she decides to find it. She goes in search of all of its usual hangouts: among the dandelions in the park, underneath the willow tree, at the rustling newspapers of the local cafe, around a floating balloon, on a flagpole, and beyond. Finally, she finds it at the top of a very high building. It is here that she realizes she has been flying all on her own. With newfound confidence, she takes off with her friend, the wind, to find new adventures. The delicate illustrations are droll and whimsical with rich details of the park and surrounding cityscape make this a delightful, low-key exploration.-Laura Hunter, Mount Laurel Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
To illustrate her quiet tale about a bluebird who can't find the wind, debut artist Yankey combines line drawings, collage, botanical motifs, and plenty of airy space. The park around which the action centers is in some distant capital, its tall trees and green lawn flanked by classically proportioned buildings. Viewers follow the bluebird as she visits the places she's found the wind before, but everything is still. Model sailboats float motionless in the park pond; a kite lies undisturbed on a bench. "Surely she would find the wind down an alleyway helping dry the clothes on the lines. But the wind wasn't there either. The clothes hung straight down." Viewers see a white wall and a red doorway; they have to look a little further to see the alleyway and its clotheslines through an arched opening in the wall. Even Grandma Brooks' wind chimes are silent. She sits in an elaborately wallpapered room watching her grandchild sleep while the bluebird perches outside. The theme of observation from a distance gives the story a dreamy calm; muted colors and creamy pages deepen the tranquility. Up to age 3. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* A little bluebird attempts a solo journey from the nest with, for the first time, no help from her friend, Wind. Maybe the wind is taking a day off? Confused but curious, she goes exploring over the pond and out of the park to seek the wind in the cafe, the market, and city dwellings. Flying through Grandma's window and around and about, she finally lights atop the tallest building all on her own! Quite pleased with herself, she soars up into the clouds, meeting her gusty playmate at last. Oversize double-page spreads washed in muted neutrals and highlighted by olive green and specks of color carry the bird's journey forward as she searches. Large areas of negative space overlaid with delicate line drawings convey a familiar and yet otherworldly place for the little avian flyer, while Yankey's intriguing use of an aerial perspective inspires readers to turn pages sideways to view all the details of the park and the city. Throughout, children will enjoy discovering Bluebird's location on the page and evidence of the wind's absence (motionless sails on the toy boats, a limply drooping flag, and inert laundry on the line.) Gorgeous flowered wallpaper and multicolored scarf patterns contrast with quieter pages employing exquisitely detailed pen-and-ink drawings and collage. At the end of this visual treasure, Bluebird soars happily with the wind through the clouds in a seemingly limitless sky.--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2010 Booklist
