THE CLASS WITH WINGS

Led by their teacher, budding birders imagine their lives as veeries.

When Ms. Lee turns off the lights and starts playing rainforest sounds, her students know it’s time to fly into their imaginations. In vibrantly hued scenes, honey-colored veeries—“Sort of like robins but smaller”—flit over the dark shadowy blue of the classroom. Ms. Lee sets the scene, describing the birds’ eating and migration habits. Bright, saturated images of the birds contrast with faded depictions of the schoolchildren. In one spread, the young, Black-presenting narrator holds out an arm, which becomes a multicolored wing. As the students follow the veeries’ migration from Brazil to the United States and Canada, they learn that deforestation, dogs, and lit windows all pose dangers. The children draw parallels between themselves and the birds. Just as veeries fall prey to raptors, kids are vulnerable to bullies. One youngster begins wondering about a relative’s immigrant journey—was it as perilous as a veerie’s travels? Matter-of-fact text pairs well with dreamy illustrations that illuminate the students’ thoughts as effectively as the “bird river” they’re imagining. In the final spread, the narrator comes face to face with a real bird, and the two share a curious moment: “I think it knows I’m a veery, too.” Ms. Lee presents Asian; her students are diverse.

A visually stirring guide to empathizing with the natural world.