  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 11/15/2016 A compass and a blue egg introduce this simple rhymed story as a young bird asks, “When I fly away, which is best, North, South, East, or West?” First she goes North, where everything is white (too cold); then South (too hot); then West. The swooping bird compares the four regions as she flits and flutters: “She had flown to the North and the South and the West. But the East was home.” Pizzoli’s clean, crisp lines of digital art are coupled with white space to recreate Brown’s lovely, previously unpublished story with new illustrations. Every full-color spread bursts with abundant nature and stark beauty. The bright splashes of vivid greens in the South contrast sharply with the blues and whites of the North and the sandy browns of the West. Activities, such as counting the three crickets in the tall grass and finding the little bird in the sycamore tree silhouetted in the night sky, will delight close observers in this stunning visual homage. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. School Library Journal - 02/01/2017 PreS-Gr 1—As she prepares to leave the nest, a little bird asks her mother which direction is best. Receiving no answer, she travels to the snowy North, where it is too cold, and the tropical South, where it is too hot to build a nest. As she gazes toward the sea on the West's rocky shore, she realizes how much she longs for the familiar sycamore tree in the "wild green forest" of the East. There she hatches her own chicks, who pose the same question she asked her own mother. Pizzoli's illustrations create a sense of movement as the small bird flies from one location to another. Well-designed graphics juxtapose symbols of various landscapes that represent possible choices. Yet the cozy nest, leafy trees, and familiar flowers hold the strongest appeal. VERDICT Interesting graphic design and attractive illustrations merit some consideration for this low-key ramble, but the book is probably an optional purchase for most collections.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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