Birdie Lights Up The World
By (Author) Alison McLennan
Illustrated by Lauren Mullinder
Exisle Publishing
EK Books
6th June 2023
New Zealand
General
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Nature and animal stories
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Emotions, moods, feelings and be
823.92
Hardback
32
Width 255mm, Height 245mm
410g
Birdie the penguin believes she is the chosen one who lights up the world every night with her song. Her zoo friends believe this too.
In this sensitively illustrated story, featuring a cast of zoo animals, Birdie the penguin has a special role to play. Until one day she gets sick and discovers that perhaps her role was not as important as she thought. She and her friends discover that the world can light itself up at night without Birdies song. Birdie begins to question what her purpose is. She tries to learn the jobs the other animals do, without success. She feels lost and confused until her zoo friends help her realize her true purpose.
The author has said that she wanted to deliver the message that we all have special, unique gifts and its our responsibility to share them with the world. If we have a song to sing, we should sing it, whether it fills a stadium or only brings joy to one person it all counts.
Parents, grandparents, librarians and teachers will all want to gift or recommend this book. Its for everyone, but especially for any child who has been told they are good at something and then feels the weight of responsibility to take lessons and compete, and to be the best. Birdie Lights Up the World will inspire them to do the things they love for the pure joy of it.
Alison McLennan began writing while raising her family. When not writing, she performs in musical theatre, sings with her childrens band and works as a voiceover artist. Lauren Mullinder has had a passion for drawing ever since she was able to hold a pencil. Lauren lives in Adelaide, Australia with her husband and dog Charlie and loves spending time in nature with a sketchbook in hand.