The Dead Bird
Margaret Wise Brown
Four children find a bird that has died in a city park. They notice that it is cold and stiff, then dig a hole and bury it. The children hold a small funeral, modeling it on ceremonies they have seen adults conduct after a death. Christian Robinson’s illustrations show the four friends together as they respond to the bird and carry out the burial. The picture book treats the children’s encounter with death directly through their actions of noticing, mourning, and saying goodbye.
This book appears on 2 reading lists across 1 edition from 2 organizations.
