I Am a Bird

On her daily bike ride with her dad, a bird-loving little girl passes a woman who frightens her—until she discovers what they have in common.

Every day, a little girl rides to school on the back of her father's bike. As they twist and turn through the streets, the little girl spreads her arms like wings and sings her birdsong for all to hear. But when they pass a strange woman in blue who carries a mysterious bag, the girl goes quiet until the woman is out of sight. One day, when they’re running late, the little girl discovers what the woman does with her bag each morning—a surprise that transforms her wariness into a feeling of kinship to be celebrated. Hope Lim’s simple text and Hyewon Yum’s delicate, expressive illustrations create a touching story that encourages readers to embrace our similarities rather than focus on our differences.

Hope Lim is a debut children's book author. She has a bachelor’s in English literature and has worked as a conference interpreter for the US State Department. Hope Lim lives in San Francisco.

Hyewon Yum is the author and illustrator of several acclaimed books for children, including Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten!, which earned her an Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award, and Saturday Is Swimming Day. She is also the illustrator of A Piece of Home, written by Jeri Watts. Hyewon Yum lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.