The Dead Bird

Although death is a somber subject and often difficult to talk about with children, Christian Robinson’s illustrations of The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown make the topic more accessible. Many of the scenes are depicted from a distance, creating a feeling of detachment from the concept of death. Sad faces adorn the children as they realize that the animal is dead, and the bird is drawn as the main focus of the illustration, with all of the children surrounding it. When the children decide to hold a funeral for the bird, they are again smiling because now they feel a sense of purpose. As the children dig a hole, other birds are in the foreground, looking on as the dead bird is buried. After the funeral, the children are again playing, having successfully moved on from the grief of the bird’s death. The final illustration shows a boy flying a kite, the line of its string drawing the eye up and away from the grave of the bird. Though the text was originally published in 1938, Robinson’s illustrations offer a fresh look at this classic story, and add more diversity among the group of children.

Brown, M. W., & Robinson, C. (2016). The dead bird. New York, NY: Harper.