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Two Little Birds

 Cover image for Two little birds
Two Little Birds
By Mary Newell DePalma
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2014 picture book

Two birds begin life together in a nest high in a tree. Together they learn to fly and together they go out to explore the world. They fly through storms, and cross an ocean.  They spend a winter in a strange land, and then they start back for home.  When they return they are ready to build nests of their own.  This is a first introduction to the wonder of bird migration for the youngest readers.  The text is simple, only a sentence or two per page, but DePalma manages to communicate the little birds' courage and determination. The illustrations are painted with soft colors on a textured canvas and convey, in an age appropriate way, the momentous journey the two birds make, both physically and emotionally.

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