A little wild parrot appears one day before a beaming blonde girl and squawks a "little wild word ('Hello!')," then sings a "little wild song." The child, in turn, feeds him "little wild seeds" and offers him some of her "little plump plum." And so begins this friendly if insubstantial story. Johnston (Amber on the Mountain) brings to it her colorful use of language: "Down dropped the sun/ Up rose the moon/ cold as the bowl/ of a silver spoon." Eitan's (Inch by Inch) vibrant, print-like illustrations, rendered in overlaying primary colors, suffuse the pages with charm and freshness. But despite this verve, the story is weighed down by uneven pacing. For example, the narrative is interrupted midway so parrot can tell his own unrelated, insignificant story. The wordplay and cheery art aside, preschoolers are likely to find this a "little" story indeed. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K?A rosy-cheeked child frolics with an obstreperous parrot. The two talk and share such things as seeds, a plum, and a rock. The bird's tale about a spider and a train, which makes both of them laugh "...until we cried like rain," may seem to be unrelated to the larger story, but it is exactly what would emerge from a child's fertile and uninhibited imagination. The pals end their day watching the moon together, and the child falls asleep to the "...rush of little green wings." The narrator's joy in the parrot's friendship and the creature's wild, cantankerous nature are captured in the rhythmic text and in the exuberant woodblock illustrations. Bright colors, pictures that dip and soar, and a text that moves in perfect cadence make this a fine choice for story time.?Ann Cook, Winter Park Public Library, FL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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