The Bird Feeder - Andrew Larsen

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Author: Andrew Larsen

Illustrator: Dorothy Leung
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Rating: 4 stars.

Sweet and heartwarming, but also somewhat intense on the emotions.

The little first person narrator loves his grandma, who is sick and has come to stay at their house. The two spend a lot of happy time together, but their most special activity is watching the birds who come outside their window to feed through Grandma’s birdfeeder. When Grandma’s health declines, she is moved to the hospice. The little boy is upset but soon understands that things needn’t change. He takes the birdfeeder and hangs it outside the hospice window, thus continuing their bonding from a different location. But will things really stay the same? What happens when Grandma’s health deteriorates?


The story portrayed the bond between the grandmother and her grandson so beautifully. Taking their shared love for birds as well as drawings, the author shows that heartfelt connections aren’t restricted by age barriers. Moreover, the book also highlights the death of a loved one, how grief feels, and how we can remember those who are no longer with us. I loved how it showed that change can be for the better if we take it in our stride, and death needn’t be a full stop of a loving relationship as we keep the people in our memories than try to suppress our feelings. The death isn’t written openly but just hinted at, a plus point in my opinion.

The writing is in simple prose, with easy words and just a few sentences per page.

The illustrations are not the typical style of cute rounded cheeks or bright pastel colours. Rather, they are as subdued as the story, with earthy tones dominating the palette. The art style is also minimal. All this works well for this story as the focus stays on the content and the meaning than on the artwork.

Despite the theme, this is a very soothing book. I do recommend it for children to understand that death is a natural stage of life and they can handle it in a positive way. It will help them know that it is okay to grieve, and it is also okay to move on. At the same time, the content is such that I would requests parents/guardians to go through it first and determine its suitability as per the sensitivity level of your child. It might work for kids with aged relatives in hospice care, but I worry kids might assume that hospice means death in the near future – a scary thought for that age.

My thanks to Kids Can Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Bird Feeder”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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