Sunny and the Birds is a gentle narrative telling the tale of a young boy and his daddy settling into a new life. There is a new house to get used to but other subtle themes weave throughout the story too. It would be interesting to ask children what other things they thought were a ‘new’ part of Sunny’s life. The voice of young, purposeful Sunny shines through and reminds us that children often adapt more easily to new homes and communities than adults, having perhaps fewer expectations and abundant natural optimism. The book uses garden birds as a bridge from past to present and includes the names of commonly found garden birds with an extra labelled illustration on the last page. Children will enjoy noticing for the subtle bird imagery in Nabila Adani’s delicate artwork; with echoes of Alison Jay style repetition, there are bird images on every page!

Ultimately a story of belonging and the small things that make a difference, Sunny and the Birds touches softly on the topic of putting down roots in a new place.