The Courage of the Little Hummingbird - Leah Henderson - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Leah Henderson

ILLUSTRATOR: Magaly Morales

GENRE: Children's Picture Book.

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A nice story with a vital message.

A retelling of an old animal fable, the book tells us about a little hummingbird whose forest home is on fire. All the other animals are fleeing from the blaze. When the little bird approaches them for help, they respond that the flames are too strong for them to do anything. But the hummingbird remembers how much the forest gave to her. Can it simply abandon its home?

Most of the book proceeds as expected. The other animals give up even before attempting to save the forest; they are more concerned with saving themselves. The hummingbird, though little, is the only one to take action against a problem. Towards the end, when the tired little bird declares, ‘I am doing all I can”, it is a wake-up call for the rest of the forest denizens.

The story might be typical, but here’s where the book elevates the experience:

🐦 The vocabulary of the book is stunning. I loved how the author played with action words and sound words, with some pages even working on a theme such as incorporating the collective nouns for some animals within the story itself. There is so much kids will get to learn from this style of storytelling.

🐦 Though there might be many new words for children, the text doesn’t feel overwhelming. The words sync well with the feel of the story.

🐦 There is a detailed author’s note as well as illustrator’s note, both of which talk about the original fable and their personal connect to the story.

🐦 At the end of the book, there is a list of the regions/continents where the animals of the story are found. There are also some fun facts related to hummingbirds.

🐦 I appreciate how the hummingbird was portrayed not as a larger-than-life hero who saved the forest, but as someone who just tried their best. Isn’t that the best lesson for kids? Not to be No. 1 in everything, not to be the winner of every event, not to ace every test with full marks, but just… to give the best they can!

🐦 Through the hummingbird, kids will also learn that size has nothing to do with capabilities. You are never too small to make a difference.

🐦 The artwork left me with mostly positive feelings. The hummingbird is the clear star of the show. The finer detailing of the bird’s feathers and colours are brilliant. The other animals and the forest are also well drawn.

(That said, for a story about a forest fire, the fire doesn’t look fiery or scary at all. This was a mild disappointment.)

On the whole, this is a good book for children who love animals and nature. The writing style ensures that this will be a great story to read aloud to little ones at home or in school, with the right audience being 4-to-8 year olds. It will emphasise to everyone, whether reader or listener, the importance of constructive action. And you will end up asking yourself… Are you doing all you can?

My thanks to Abrams Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “The Courage of the Little Hummingbird”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.