A big word. An important word. A word like gargantuan, auspicious, or magnanimous?
While those words are impressive, sometimes the words you are looking for are simple. Love. Family. Home.
Stephen Michael King’s glorious picture book One Word and a Bird follows a young boy as he searches the world for a word that will lift him up, make him feel important, and comfort him.
On his long journey, the boy tries out many different words but finds the most meaning in the twitter of a bird, the soft snicker of a horse, and the wag of a dog’s tale. His journey eventually leads him back home to something greater than words… Love.
The design of this book uses interesting text and font placement, white space, and evocative wordless spreads to tell the story and conjure different emotions. It would be an excellent text to use for teaching visual literacy.
The text is poetic and musical, and it’s use of simile is sublime. A horse that has ‘great rhythm, like a ballad’s verse’, and a dog that arrives ‘like a big bounding sentence’. On every read there is something else to appreciate of the genius of Stephen Michael King.
The illustrations are made with pencil, ink and mono printing, and feature Stephen’s signature style. Younger children will enjoy spotting all the different animals, while older readers may be drawn to the smaller details and action happening in many of the spreads. Adults will appreciate the exploration of meaning and happiness.
One Word and a Bird is truly a book for all ages.
Title: One Word and a Bird
Author/Illustrator: Stephen Michael King
Publisher: Scholastic Press, $26.99
Publication Date: 1 April 2025
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761520860
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book
