The Bird Coat - Hardcover

Kjølstadmyr, Inger Marie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1592703666 ISBN 13: 9781592703661

Publisher: Enchanted Lion, 2022

Synopsis

This tale of passion, persistence, and hubris reminds us that what seems foolish in hindsight may have been born of boldness and bravery.

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of 2023!

The tailor Pierre has a big dream: He wants to fly. To make this outlandish vision a reality, he decides to sew a garment that is up to the task: his very own, resplendent bird coat. But can a human really become a bird with anything but disastrous results? This is a fantastical story of the imagined selves that we dream into being, and the hubris that can come hand-in-hand with these imaginings. Illustrated in the distinctive hand of award-winning Norwegian illustrator Øyvind Torseter, this tale was inspired by the true story of Franz Reichelt, dubbed "the flying tailor," who in 1912 jumped from the Eiffel Tower in an attempt at flight.

About this title

About the Author

Inger Marie Kjølstadmyr has a masters degree in Nordic Literature from the University of Oslo. She works as a freelancer in publishing and as a theater reviewer, and made her literary debut in 2011 with the children's book Henrik and the Bath Sponge. The Bird Coat is her second book.

Øyvind Torseter is a Norwegian artist and illustrator who has created eleven books on his own and several with other authors. He’s received numerous awards for his books, including a Bologna Ragazzi Award and the Norwegian Book Art Prize. In 2014, he was a finalist for the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. His books have been translated into several languages, with six already published by Enchanted Lion. Øyvind lives and works in Oslo.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Kari Dickson grew up bilingually, as her mother is Norwegian and her grandparents could not speak English. She holds a B.A. in Scandinavian studies and an M.A. in translation.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 1—A book about death for young children, without the usual solemnity of the topic. Pierre, a successful French tailor, has a dream of flying. He longs to be a human bird and, using all his skills, sews himself a bird coat. On a beautiful Parisian morning, after a good breakfast of croissants, he climbs to the top of the Eiffel Tower and leaps into the air. His friends watch as he plunges to the earth. His dearest friend, the barber next door to his shop, recounts the story to a young customer who asks why no one stopped him from such a foolish action. The barber has no answer. But the tailor's portrait hangs in the barbershop. Cartoonlike illustrations bring lightness to this story of death, life, and dreams, and of the grief beyond which life must go on. Based on an actual 1912 incident, this is a work about death, but without pathos or pity. In an afterword, the author explains his desire to write about this difficult topic for children (and adults) without darkness, but to show that it is part of life. Recommended for use when teaching or explaining death to young children. VERDICT For its very unique take on the subject of death and carrying on despite it, this is a beautiful addition to the shelves on grief and coping with loss. Recommended.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken

Edition details

• Publisher: Enchanted Lion
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1592703666
• ISBN 13: 9781592703661
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Torseter Øyvind
• Number of pages: 52