Balance the Birds by Susie Ghahremani (review)

Eight birds perch in a tree, four on each side, until a squirrel disturbs their group sing-along and four fly off. As the tree lists to the left, two of the remaining birds shift to the right, and balance is restored. Then three fly off, and the one remaining bird sits alone until a big owl arrives and the tree tips again. Four light birds counter the heavy owl, and everything is looking good until a whole flock of different species descend. Now, "How will you balance the birds?" If the audience responds, "Danged if I know," forgive them. There's enough illogic and imprecision in this otherwise attractive picture book to puzzle even determined young viewers. The thick tree, which sinks into the picture book's gutter, should clearly be impervious to the weight of any of the little songbirds, or even the hefty owl and squirrel, and thus renders the view of the birds clinging on for dear life valuable for comic relief rather than concept explication. Text on the double-page spread of the eight initial birds is counterintuitive, with "Uh-oh! Off they go!" applied to the clingers on the verso, and "Half the birds remain" describing the flee-ers on the recto. The shift to a nocturnal palette, coordinated nicely with the owl's arrival, is interrupted with bright orange for no obvious reason. The ultimate challenge—to "balance" a couple of dozen birds (and one squirrel)—on the visual information offered, is an exercise in frustration. Children attracted to the cheery, countable birds could best be guided beyond the pages to a simple balance and an assortment of manipulatives, or to Hyewon Kyung's delightful and effective Bigger Than You (BCCB 6/18). EB