I Really Want to Be First!

February 14, 2022
Ziefert (It’s Time to Go to Sleep) and Foster (Take a Hike, Miles and Spike!) launch a dialogue-driven early reader comics series starring Really Bird—a feathered friend who feels things most emphatically. “When I’m happy, or sad, or thirsty, or scared, I’m REALLY happy, or REALLY scared... or REALLY thirsty!” Always feeling third in line behind friends Cat and Pup, Really Bird announces that this time, “I’m the LEADER!” When the pals acquiesce, Really insists they follow to the top of a tree—a climb for which Dog is just not built. Amid the leaves, the mammals become stuck and frantic... and Really Bird shrugs off the responsibilities of having placed friends in a sticky situation, and of helping them down. Really’s yearning to be first should resonate no matter where opinion lands on the bird’s leadership qualities, and Foster’s stripped-down but emotionally operatic cartooning tempers this familiarly touchy interpersonal matter with just the right goofiness, starting with Really himself: a bright blue circle with stick legs, finger-like wings, and an oversize orange beak. A “Think About/Talk About” page invites reader discussion. Publishing simultaneously: I Really Want a Bigger Piece. Ages 5–7.

January 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-A mischievous little bird, Really Bird gets his name because he does and wants everything really big, or really happy, or really silly. In this whimsical, easy-to-read book, Really Bird and his friends, a yellow cat and a black puppy, live in a city park. Whenever they venture out to do various activities in the park, they usually go in the same order every time: Cat, Pup, and then Really Bird. One day while they are going on yet another nonsensical adventure, Really Bird tells his friends that he really really wants to go first this time. Cat and Pup decide to let him lead. Really Bird leads his friends into climbing a tree, where both of them get stuck and have a hard time holding on. When both animals ask for his leadership to get them down, Really Bird comes up with the solution. Questions at the end of the book to discuss with little ones are a delightful addition. VERDICT A goofy, silly story with lively imagery by Foster, this book touches on issues of social consciousness, such as trusting, sharing, and having productive solutions to problems when issues occur. Great for any children's collection.-Annmarie Braithwaite

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April 15, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 In this first book in an early reader series, Really Bird feels everything intensely. So when he decides he really wants to be "the LEADER! and NOT the follower," he is adamant. His easygoing best friends Pup and Cat readily go along with the idea. For their outing, Really Bird decides they should climb a tree, which is not something the dog wants or is equipped to do. With helpful hints from Cat, Pup is able to reach the top but is not happy about climbing back down. Though Really Bird gives Cat directions on how to assist Pup in the descent, it again is Cat who takes charge. After their adventure, Really Bird again declares he will be the leader as the trio head home. A "Think About/Talk About" section at the story's conclusion lists discussion questions. One additional question discussion leaders may want to consider: Did declaring himself the leader truly make Really Bird become one?

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May 1, 2022
Is Really Bird really the leader here? Most kids love to be first, but can they be good leaders? This funny, upbeat series opener addresses that question. Really Bird, who lives in a city park and has two best friends, Cat and Pup, is never just happy, sad, or thirsty--rather, they are "REALLY happy," "REALLY sad," or "REALLY thirsty." Today, Really Bird is REALLY tired of being last, so Cat and Pup offer to let their friend lead. And Really Bird does, first up a hill and then up a tree. While Pup manages to scramble to the tree's canopy, comically exaggerated illustrations show that she is far from comfortable there. Really Bird suggests a solution, and Cat finds a way to help Pup reach the ground. On the ground, an argument promptly ensues about who got to the ground first. Pup quickly ends the bickering, and Really Bird is delighted to lead the trio home. The more detailed illustrations that open the book anchor the friends in the park, but most of the art features brightly colored characters against an uncluttered background, with color-coded speech bubbles of just a few words. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A chipper reminder that being a leader is about more than being first--it requires consideration and creative problem-solving. (discussion questions) (Picture book. 5-7)

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