Star: The Bird Who Inspired Mozart - Mireille Messier - ★★★.½

AUTHOR: Mireille Messier

ILLUSTRATOR: Matte Stephens

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: October 11, 2022

RATING: 3.5 stars.

I had expected to like this a lot more, but it was good, not great.

The book is based on the true story of Star, a starling that became composer Mozart’s muse and beloved pet, to the extent that Mozart even had a funeral for Star when it died. But somehow, the connection between the two doesn’t come out strongly in this book. Most of the book focusses on Star, and there are barely a couple of pages about how exactly Mozart was inspired by it. The author’s note at the end of the book is excellent and reveals more about this odd relationship, but this should have been part of the story and not the note.

Of course, the part that focusses on Star is fantastic. It reveals the bird’s love for music and its special talent for mimicking sounds. Kids who love animals/birds might still be enthralled by the story, especially if they hadn’t heard of it before. After all, starlings are considered an invasive menace in the US, so to see it as a pet would come as a surprise to many.

I was aware of this story through Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s “Mozart's Starling”, which was an informative as well as entertaining book. I expected the children’s book to be as charming, but it didn’t appeal to me as much as I had expected.

I am not sure how I feel about the illustrations. On one hand, they are bright and colourful. But they are drawn as a little child would draw people, not like stick figures but with basic features. This might have been a creative call but I don’t think it worked well for the book. One woman appears to be in some kind of knee-length strapless dress, which would be a strict no-no in Mozart’s era.

The language is pretty easy for beginner readers. The book is aimed at readers aged 4-8 years.

All in all, yes, it is a novel story and might work for little readers. It might also work for teachers looking for an unusual story of nature for grades 1-2. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I not been aware of this anecdote.

My thanks to Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Star: The Bird Who Inspired Mozart”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

For adult readers who want to know more about Mozart’s connection with Star, please try the Lyanda Lynn Haupt book.