Take flight in this heartwarming story about a boy who learns to be true to himself at school while following his love of nature.
Nico was new, and nervous about going to school. Everyone knew what to do and where to go, but Nico felt a little lost.
So, he did what he loved to do: Watched the insects Sat in the grass And most importantly... befriended the birds.
Before he knew it, Nico was known as BIRD BOY. But Nico didn't mind. Soon, he made one friend, then two, as the other kids learned to appreciate Nico for who he was. Before long, Nico learned he could be completely, delighfully, himself. This dreamy story will encourage all readers to express who they are unapologetically.
"Nico’s vulnerability and his calm self-confidence are a heady, relatable, contradictory combination of qualities that we all possess but don’t often recognize. This is a powerful and effective message, and readers are in for a treat.” —Booklist, starred review
Matthew Burgess is a poet, professor and picture book author. An assistant professor at Brooklyn College, he has been a poet-in-residence in New York City public schools since 2001 and is a contributing editor of Teachers & Writers Magazine. He is the author of Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings, Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring, The Bear and The Moon and most recently, Bird Boy and Make Meatballs Sing: The Life & Art of Corita Kent. Matthew's books have received many accolades, including starred reviews, a coveted spot on the Kids Indie Next List and features in Brain Pickings, Huffington Post, Washington Post, Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal, among others.
View titles by Matthew Burgess
Take flight in this heartwarming story about a boy who learns to be true to himself at school while following his love of nature.
Nico was new, and nervous about going to school. Everyone knew what to do and where to go, but Nico felt a little lost.
So, he did what he loved to do: Watched the insects Sat in the grass And most importantly... befriended the birds.
Before he knew it, Nico was known as BIRD BOY. But Nico didn't mind. Soon, he made one friend, then two, as the other kids learned to appreciate Nico for who he was. Before long, Nico learned he could be completely, delighfully, himself. This dreamy story will encourage all readers to express who they are unapologetically.
Praise
"Nico’s vulnerability and his calm self-confidence are a heady, relatable, contradictory combination of qualities that we all possess but don’t often recognize. This is a powerful and effective message, and readers are in for a treat.” —Booklist, starred review
Author
Matthew Burgess is a poet, professor and picture book author. An assistant professor at Brooklyn College, he has been a poet-in-residence in New York City public schools since 2001 and is a contributing editor of Teachers & Writers Magazine. He is the author of Enormous Smallness: A Story of E. E. Cummings, Drawing on Walls: A Story of Keith Haring, The Bear and The Moon and most recently, Bird Boy and Make Meatballs Sing: The Life & Art of Corita Kent. Matthew's books have received many accolades, including starred reviews, a coveted spot on the Kids Indie Next List and features in Brain Pickings, Huffington Post, Washington Post, Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal, among others.
View titles by Matthew Burgess
