Oddbird

Written and illustrated by Derek Desierto

Feiwel & Friends

978-1-250-76531-4

32 pp.

Ages 2-6

May 2021

 

When a grey-feathered little bird finds his way to a community of colourful birds who preen and avoid cooling off in a pool for fear of blemishing their appearances, he is chagrined to see his own blandness for the first time. Though he finds a solution, ultimately it's what's inside of him that will unite him with the other birds.

From Oddbird by Derek Desierto

Finding a lovely blue pool in the jungle on a sweltering hot day, a little grey bird is perplexed why the birds surrounding it aren't in the water cooling off. When he dips his toes in, though, the other birds finally notice him.

"He has no color," said one bird.

"Are those even feathers?" said another.

All the birds agreed that Oddbird didn't belong there.

From Oddbird by Derek Desierto

To the screeches of "Out!" and with tears, the little bird flies off. Noticing how much colour there is in the jungle, he fashions himself a fabulous display of colours. When he returns, the other birds are mesmerized by his appearance, showering him with compliments and recognition.

From Oddbird by Derek Desierto

Emboldened with new confidence, the little bird heads to the diving board before plunging into the cooling pool. So happy is he to enjoy the water that he doesn't noticed that all his colourful "feathers" have fall off. The other birds certainly notice, but they also observe how refreshing the pool looks and jump in, disregarding the water's impact on their own appearances.

From Oddbird by Derek Desierto

This is Vancouver's Derek Desierto's debut picture book as an author and illustrator, having previously illustrated for others (e.g., Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes), but I hope there will be more. I think Derek Desierto was meant to tell stories. His tale of a little unadorned bird feeling out of place in a community of flashy and multi-coloured birds speaks to all of us who feel out of place and try to find ways to fit in. But by fitting in, the little bird gains the confidence to actually accept his colouring as it is and encourage others to enjoy a world beyond the superficial and to look inside to see what really counts.

 

By harmoniously intertwining his messages of self-acceptance and diversity with his vibrant digitally-rendered art, Derek Desierto has made Oddbird even more inspiring. Children know how much they want to fit in and unfortunately they know how often it's based on what they look like and what clothes they wear. With the boldness of his art, colourful and textured with patterns and expressive in shape and form–those eyes shout fear, distress, awkwardness and joy– Derek Desierto draws children into the story and helps them see that fitting in is sometimes more about being oneself than how others see you. Though the little grey-feathered bird may feel like his absence of colour makes him an oddity, his differences are what actually add the colour to this community and that inclusivity is the foundation for connectedness.