Birds of the Air

• Author: S.E.M. Ishida
• Illustrator: Wendy Tan
• Publisher: B & H Publishing Group
• On-Sale Date: Sept. 7th, 2021
• Synopsis: In anticipation of Jesus’ baptism, the birds gather to discuss who will receive the honor of symbolizing the Holy Spirit.
• Recommendation: Strongly Recommended

Why I Requested It:

Over the last several months, I have had the wonderful opportunity to become better acquainted with the animals who visit/ live in our yard here at MeadowArc. The doves are some of our favorite visitors, so when I saw a children’s Christian book devoted to the dear creature, which was also a speculative fiction based on a Bible story, I was eager to preview it.

Although I hadn’t planned to review picture books, I am now interested in reviewing more of them!

What I Liked:

This was such a sweet story and I recommend it for numerous reasons:

• First, I really appreciated the Author’s Note, which actually made me tear up a little. Reminiscent of Mister Rogers’ introductions to the Neighborhood of Make Believe, the note encourages readers to use their God-given imaginations to enter into the story. It also references Jesus’ parables.
  • In my opinion, this kind of exhortation is so important for children. From childhood, allegories were some of my very favorite books to read. As an adult, I reread these books from my childhood. I have also found that the Lord speaks to me, through the Bible, via imagination and wondering how things were.
  • Too often, I think we confine our faith by restricting the imagination from it, so I really appreciate that this message of imagination and creativity is being introduced to children at a young age.
• I liked that the animals referred to God as “Creator God.” This was such a dear name, showing their relationship to Him. Plus, for the reader, it emphasizes God’s role as Creator.
• The dove was just as sweet as he is in my experience of him. I also liked the detail, which I hadn’t connected, about him being a poor man’s sacrifice. What a beautiful layer of symbolism!
• The description of God’s interaction with the dove was beautiful.
• It’s neat that the fable introduces its own scriptural lesson, alongside the original Bible story.

Illustrations

The illustrations are colorful and inviting. The animals are depicted artistically with distinct personalities (i.e., humble, cocky, etc.). The scenery is also beautiful.

Recommendation:

Strongly Recommended as a read-aloud for children aged 4-8. I would like to see more stories like this— not just fictional retellings, but stories that inspire wonder within the details.