Published: 1 March 2022
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Illustrator: Stephanie Laberis
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars
A sweet, love-infused celebration of individuality and acceptance!
Lovebird Lou adores life with his family and friends on the island they call home. But when he travels to the other side of the island and sees the amazing abilities on display by different birds, Lou feels unfulfilled with the laidback lovebird lifestyle. With his adoring parents cheering him on, Lou decides to spread his wings and see what else he can accomplish. This sweet, funny story celebrates individuality, self-discovery, and the joy of community.
Another picture book I picked up for the cover and it 100% delivers internally as well. This is a wonderful book. It is funny, cute, and the illustrations are half the fun. I liked how Lou isn’t unhappy with being a lovebird, but he still wants to be more interesting and these new birds he hasn’t seen before are what he wants to become.
I loved how unequivocally supportive Lou’s parents are. He wants to be a flamingo, they are right behind him, he wants to be a pelican, they tell him he’s an amazing pelican. There are brilliant lines as Lou admits defeat in his quest to be a [different] bird, “Being a bird is for the birds” he admits and becomes a rock. This was the highlight of this book for me. There is nothing more adorable than a flock of supportive lovebirds helping this little bird start his journey to be a rock. There is nothing more fantastic than the greatest image ever of a bird sitting in a field with a sign beside him that reads #1 Rock. Laberis has added so much to this story with the illustrations and as much as I love Sauer’s story, the illustrations are divine.
You can purchase Lovebird Lou via the following
