IS IT ASLEEP?

Several animals cope in the wake of a blackbird’s death.

A squirrel and a walking, talking mushroom named Pock—both introduced in Tallec’s A Better Best Friend (2024)—enjoy listening to the birds in the meadow, especially the blackbird. Today they can’t find it, but eventually, they discover the bird lifeless on the path. Joined by Gunther the mouse, the friends sit and wait a long time until they determine that the blackbird has, in fact, died. Translated from French and narrated by the squirrel, this tale offers a simple and frank exploration of death. The animals speculate about how the bird might have died, hold their own version of a funeral (covering the body with autumn leaves), and find a way to memorialize the deceased—all useful springboards for caregivers looking for a way to introduce a potentially difficult topic. None of the characters knew the bird all that well, which allows for a far more hands-on—yet still empathetic—exploration of death compared with other children’s books: The characters matter-of-factly comment on the heaviness of the bird’s body and its temperature and wonder why it died. The warm golds and reds of the illustrations bring to life the autumnal season—an ideal setting, given the topic. Gorgeous two-page layouts capture the stillness and beauty of the meadow. The woodland creatures have expressive yet minimal facial features.

A laudably candid yet child-friendly examination of life and death.