STAR

A friendship between two musicians.

Starlings are a species of bird known for their mimicry skills. This picture book, set in 18th-century Vienna, describes the imagined life of a real starling that belonged to Mozart; according to lore, the composer passed a pet store and heard the bird singing one of his pre-published concertos and, charmed, bought the animal. In this book, the bird, later named Star, had previously flown freely around the city, listening to new sounds at various windows (her favorite is Mozart’s), only to be netted by a profit-driven bird catcher and sold to a “dark and noisy bird shop.” She’s finally rescued by Mozart and spends the rest of her life as his beloved pet, possibly inspiring some of his music. The crude illustrations are blocky, with pupil-less eyes, comically stuck-out tongues, and chartreuse-skinned villains (characters have garish skin tones; Mozart himself is purplish-complexioned). While the story is well told, the emotional core is underdeveloped, with the bird kept at a distance. Though adults may understand and appreciate the reference to the Viennese virtuoso, children will likely be less drawn to it, though the goofy pictures will help carry their interest further. Overall this story feels like an interesting historical tidbit unnecessarily lengthened for those few children who are really into birds and/or classical music. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Sweet but of limited appeal to children.