WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?

An avian community grapples with the aftermath of a tragic death in Charach’s illustrated children’s book.

A robin lies dead on the ground. A sparrow cries that they shot him: “I, said the Sparrow, With my broken bow and arrow, I shot Cock Robin.” Thus opens this adaptation of a classic English nursery rhyme—but in this iteration, the animals involved are all birds. Each participates in the incident according to the skills closely associated with their species: The magpie watched the incident unfold, the vultures volunteer to pick clean the body after it’s been wiped of blood by the redwing, and the woodcock and the swift offer to prepare the coffin. When it comes time to plan the funeral itself, the drake, wren, raven, and dove step up to lead the planners, and be pallbearers, clergy, and the chief mourner, respectively. The thrush and mockingbird, classically musical songbirds, are tapped to present the psalms and eulogy, respectively, while others follow them in a mournful procession to Cock Robin’s gravesite. In a nod to the original rhyme, the bullfinch (as opposed to the bull) tolls the bell for the ceremony as the other birds gather around the grave dug by Owl, “a-sighin’ and a-sobbin’.” Charach’s reinterpretation of the original rhyme is seamless, fitting neatly into its lyrical pattern while gently pushing it in a new direction. However, while in his afterword he asserts that “the guilt of the sparrow, recast as female, is finally in question,” little evidence supports this claim in his actual text; the word “broken” has been added to describe the bow and arrow, but it’s easy to miss, and there is no mention of the sparrow’s gender at all. The DeWitts’ illustrations are rooted in realism but remain playful with the addition of hats and other accessories to help distinguish the birds. Their rendition of Cock Robin’s death may scare more sensitive children, who could balk at the sight of a bleeding bird on the very first page.

A clever new version of a classic tale that remains fairly faithful to the original.