Curious about the new and unusual song sung by the chorus of birds that wakes Fox each morning, he follows the birds through the forest. In a quiet meadow, Fox discovers that one of the birds is on the ground, still and unmoving. Unfamiliar with death, Fox is unsure why Bird won’t respond to his offers of food or invitations to sing. The digitally rendered illustrations magnify what Fox can’t yet comprehend, but what readers can understand. Below Bird, a cutaway of earth shows numerous animal skeletons and shells buried in dirt, suggesting the inevitability of death. The seasons of life are further echoed in the earthy-hued geometric backdrops. A black and white moth enters the scene, and gently offers explanations to Fox about Bird’s mortality. Confused and frustrated, Fox howls at Moth and begs for the truth about Bird. “I was trying to be kind,” said Moth. “Sad things are hard to hear. They are pretty hard to say, too. They should be told in little pieces.” This beautifully illustrated picture book offers direct and thoughtful ways to process death and grief. (Ages 5-9)

With luminous illustrations, this original folktale about the discovery of a lifeless bird offers a sympathetic exploration of grief, loss, and hope.

One morning, Fox is drawn toward the forest. There, in a clearing, he sees something small and silent, perhaps forgotten. It’s a bird, lying as still as can be. Fox is confused, upset, and angry. Is the bird broken? Why doesn’t it move or sing, no matter what Fox does? His curious antics are spied by a little moth, who shares a comforting thought about the circles in the sky—that the sun, even after it sets, is reflected by the moon and the stars, reminding us of its light. In an author-illustrator debut, Karl James Mountford pairs a text at once lyrical and humorous, meditative and down-to-earth with glorious, multilayered artwork that will take your breath away. Told with sensitivity and an enchanting visual style, this story of the ineffable nature of death and life has the feel of a universal folktale for modern times.