Author: Esther Bender. Illustrator: Edna Bender. Publisher: Herald Press (Ages 6-10). 32 pages. Gorgeous, acrylic color illustrations. Comb binding. ISBN:0-8361-9009-2. Price: $8.99.

Award

Winner of the Merit Angel Award from Excellence in Media.

Description

A bluebird dies in the April snow! Two children take it to school where they study it. In the evening, a bird carver uses it as a model. In watching the carving of the bluebird, the children share a mystery: the bluebird lives on in memories!

Author's Comments

I was motivated to write April Bluebird first as a true news piece about a bluebird that died in April snow. A reader responded with a letter to the editor that said the story was a children's classic. I was flattered. With dreams in my head about a perfect story, I asked an artist to work with me, and together, we laid out the artwork and story for my first picture book.