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.

Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes

Written by Eva Chen

Illustrated by Derek Desierto

Feiwel and Friends

978-1-250-29726-6

32 pp.

Ages 4-6

November 2018

Marilyn Monroe always said "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world." In Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes, Juno is given the opportunity to step into the shoes of those conquering women and experience the worlds of those who achieved much in the arts, sciences and society.

From Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen, illus. by Derek Desierto

Preparing for school, Juno cannot find her favourite shoes. Delving into her closet to look for her seemingly boring white sneakers that are "her favorite running-hopping-skipping-muddy-puddly-jumping shoes", Juno and her pup are transported by a milky way into a ginormous closet of hundreds of shoes–"... a cornucopia of shoes! A feast of fashion!"–under glass cloches à la Saks Fifth Avenue.

From Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen, illus. by Derek Desierto

She becomes Cleopatra when she tries on the Egyptian sandals; Frida Kahlo in the colourful lace-up boots; Cinderella in the glass slippers; Serena Williams in her tennis sneakers; an astronaut in Sally Ride's boots; a ballerina in Misty Copeland's slippers; and more. There are athletes, scientists, and celebrities of TV, art and music. Juno tries them all, putting herself in their shoes and their lives. When she finally discovers her own shoes, she finds a way to put a little magic in them, courtesy of her experiences with those of some great women.

From Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen, illus. by Derek Desierto

American Eva Chen brings her fashionista background to inspire children to take a journey through the footwear worn by famous people, past and present, but for me it's Vancouver illustrator Derek Desierto who brings the sparkle to the story with his artwork. Derek Desierto, who is the designer of Derek Cardigan eyewear, brings a mixture of contemporary with retro design to his illustrations, delivering the fun with the footwear (and the clothing and settings) and colour bold enough to bowl over little Juno. The distinction of the women's shoes, summarized in an appendix titled "Juno's Guide to Groundbreaking Women (and their Shoes)," is like a visit to a shoe museum, introducing young readers to important women in history and inspiring them to be great in their own shoes.