Yeti and the Bird by Nadia Shireen - ESSENTIAL

Shireen, Nadia Yeti and the Bird, PICTURE BOOK. Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon), 2013. $17.99. Content: G. 

Yeti is a big, scary, hairy beast. He is so big and scary and hairy, that the other animals in the forest stay far away from him. So, Yeti is also a very lonely big, scary, hairy beast. One day a little bird falls on his head and doesn’t think that Yeti is scary at all. They become fast friends and serenade the forest animals to sleep each night with soothing songs. The weather starts to turn colder and the bird needs to move on to warmer climates. When the bird leaves, Yeti expects to be lonely once again and is pleasantly surprised when the rest of the forest animals want to be friends. 

This is a book about seeing others for who they really are and not just based on how you perceive them. It’s also a good example of helping friends get where they need to be, rather than focusing only on your needs. The story and pictures are slightly quirky and it really works toward the book’s advantage. 

EL (K-3), EL- ESSENTIAL. Reviewed by: Shay, School Librarian