Trevor by Jim Averbeck (review)

Little canary Trevor lives a lonely life in his cage, but he stays for the seeds. One day a branch bearing a lemon appears outside his window, and Trevor, thrilled to find what he believes to be a friend like himself, escapes his cage and gives the lemon his precious sunflower seed. The bird builds a relationship with his silent companion and constructs a nest for the two of them; together they make music (“Trevor sang the notes. The lemon sang the silences”). However, when a fierce storm rolls the lemon out of the nest and away beyond finding, Trevor loses his friend. On his way down, however, the lemon knocks the seeds out of the sunflower that grew from Trevor’s fallen present; the scattered seeds bring Trevor a flock of new friends, “but he never forgot his first shy friend.” The story is an intriguing combination of slyly funny, surreal, and genuinely touching. Woodgrain surfaces and brushstrokes give texture to the acrylic paint, lending depth to simple compositions featuring sunny yellow bird and lemon, green leaves, brown tree, and blue sky. Pair this with Miller’s Sophie’s Squash (BCCB 10/13) or Wormell’s The Big Ugly Monster and the Little Stone Rabbit (BCCB 9/04) for a focus on satisfying yet asymmetric friendship, and be sure that viewers check out the final page, which suggests a froggy new comrade for Trevor’s beloved lemon.