Publisher's Weekly Review
In this gentle narrative by Burgess, Nico, a smiling, dot-eyed Black child, does not quite fit in with his new classmates. Nico prefers "watching the insects/ crossing a crack in the blacktop/ like climbers over a mountain pass" to engaging in sports or "standing in huddles, whispering"; when his quiet nature attracts birds, his classmates quickly brand him "Bird Boy" as an insult. Nico initially feels the sting of the moniker before rising above, imagining himself as a variety of avian creatures in different environments: a penguin, a hummingbird, a pelican. And eventually, two classmates warm to Nico's free-spirited ways. Colored pencil, graphite, and watercolor art mingle in sweet illustrations by Maydani, featuring mostly children of color and a softly colored, layered world. Any reader who has ever felt left out will cheer for Nico as he shows he can be "both a bird and completely, delightfully himself." Ages 4--8. (July)
Kirkus Review
Nico isn't like all the other children, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Nico knows he is different. He is new at school, and he isn't sure what to do to be included. But he knows what he likes to do. He likes to watch insects marching or to sit in the grass and feel the sun on his face. As he sits still, birds begin to visit him. When the other children see this, they name him Bird Boy. Nico knows they are making fun of him, and it hurts. But as he thinks about the name, he finds himself smiling. He imagines himself as an eagle soaring, a penguin diving, a hummingbird hovering, and all sorts of birds in action. Throughout the day and into the night, he imagines and plays. Eventually, other children notice his kindness and his freedom, and he makes first one friend and then another. This heartwarming tale about a Black boy who feels free to be himself and finds genuine friendships by doing so offers realistic hope and encouragement for children who feel different to accept their authentic selves. Gentle illustrations use textures and color schemes to blend imagination with reality for a delightfully surreal journey through Nico's world. His classmates are mostly kids of color, and one uses a wheelchair. A lovely celebration of individuality. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Every now and then a book comes along that catches you unawares with its tenderness and grace. This is one such book. On his first day at a new school, Nico is keenly aware of being an outsider, but he quickly realizes that not being part of the already formed groups of kids means that he is free to sit quietly in the sun and watch ants and befriend birds. This earns him the nickname Bird Boy, and while the teasing hurts Nico's feelings, he is surprised to find that he rather likes the name. He embraces it, letting his imagination soar with the promise of adventures only a bird boy can have. Sweet, kind, smiling Nico is hard to resist, and he eventually makes friends. Maydani's cheerful colored-pencil illustrations depict a diverse array of characters, with birds drawn as children might render them. Burgess' (Drawing on Walls, 2020) text reads like poetry, gliding and swooping, making for quick page turns that end the story all too soon. Nico's vulnerability and his calm self-confidence are a heady, relatable, contradictory combination of qualities that we all possess but don't often recognize. This is a powerful and effective message, and readers are in for a treat.
