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What Bird Heard (Traveler Series, Book 2) by Tricia Gardella (Book Review)

In Book 2 of this Traveler Series, Mouse and Bird are busy at work resolving Bird’s Book 1 mistake– trying to fly an airplane to the moon. Everyone knows it takes a rocket. But are there any other things Mouse and Bird need to be aware of?

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

What Bird Heard, book two in the “Traveler” series, picks up where its predecessor left off – trying to figure out how to get Mouse to the moon. 

We all have aspirations in life and reasons behind life choices/goals. Mouse’s reasoning for wanting to visit the moon is simple; he’s looking for cheese. Oh yes, this tiny rodent hasn’t gotten the memo that the moon isn’t made of cheese. 

The farm animals band together and use their resources from the scrap heap to construct a rocket. Their design was quite good based on the materials they had. The core was a soda code, and the base was from a can of tuna. The top, a funnel.

Construction, manufacturing, engineering, and space travel involve problem-solving. In the case of Bird and Mouse’s rocket, they need fuel. What Bird Heard teaches children to work as a team to brainstorm ideas. Why? Because teamwork makes the dream work, of course. 

When a creator’s design doesn’t go as planned, it’s essential to understand that alternative solutions must be considered and utilized. Good lessons to pass on to young minds!

Through talking to his friends, Mouse realized that the location was the issue; his goal was to see the world. Earth is a vast land with countless sights to explore. A trip to a library opened Mouse’s eyes to the wondrous world around him and made him realize they were so much to see, touch, taste, and experience here on Earth. Maybe one day the rodent will make it to the moon, but for now, he’s content to explore the planet he calls home. 

What Bird Heard had a couple of pages where the text overlapped the background; most of the text was clear. The illustrations were fantastic, like in “ABSURD,” SAID BIRD (Traveler Series Book 1).”

What Bird Heard encourages creativity, problem-solving, and exploration. I recommend this book to children 3-8.

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤1/2

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Meet the Author
 

Tricia’s books are influenced by ranch, animals and family life. She has tried it all, and almost mastered some: canning, cooking, knitting, fiber arts, rug-making, gardening. She has a BA in Ancient History and lots of grand children, giving her much food for thought. She lives in California.
 
 
 
 
 

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“ABSURD,” SAID BIRD by Tricia Gardella (Book Review)

Mouse promises to bring back cheese for every farm animal to help him build the plane he thinks he needs to get to the moon. He ignores Bird who all the while warns Mouse that his plan is absurd. The fun comes when we discover the reason Bird calls the plan absurd in this short and to-the-point tale.

Amazon Purchase Link

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review

 

The joke that the moon is made up of cheese has been floating for as long as I remember. Family members often ask one another, if it were made up of cheese, what kind would it be? The mouse in “ABSURD,” SAID BIRD. also believes the moon is composed of cheese ad plans to snatch a chunk. The barn animals are curious about his mission and how mouse plans to build a plane for the extraordinary trip. 

The farm animals agree to help him with his project after he promises them he’d bring back a moon souvenir, in other words, cheese! Ginger Nielson did a phenomenal job taking barnyard junk and morphing them into a recognizable plane. The windmill for the propeller was ingenious! 

This short story teaches children that not everything will go as planned when transitioning from concept to construction. Mouse faced such a predicament. But engineers never quit; they return to the drawing board and brainstorm ideas. Mouse leaned on their team for help, and his actions made him a great role model to future engineers. When in doubt or trouble, always ask for help! 

Did mouse ever make it to the moon? Did he and the farm animals get their cheese? Those questions can only be answered by reading “ABSURD,” SAID BIRD. by Tricia Gardella. 

Amazon has this children’s book listed for 3 – 8 years. Even children younger than that will love the story. Babies will love the bright illustrations. And the drawings will help teach toddlers farm animal names and then sounds. Of course, readers in the recommended age bracket will enjoy the adventure story. Let them draw their conclusion before starting the story. Let your young readers explore how the tiny mouse could reach the moon through art, Lego building, play dough, or brainstorming ideas from your family’s “scrapheap.” 

I loved this story, and I believe your family will too! 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤

 
 
 
Meet the Author
 

Tricia’s books are influenced by ranch, animals and family life. She has tried it all, and almost mastered some: canning, cooking, knitting, fiber arts, rug-making, gardening. She has a BA in Ancient History and lots of grand children, giving her much food for thought. She lives in California.
 
 

 

 

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