Matilde Toimil (text), Mario Fernandes (illus), Birdie and the Water, Amazon Digital, 16 August 2015, 10pp., $2.00 (ebook only), ASIN: B0141OB1BW
Birdie lives in the desert. Whilst flying between cactus flowers, he hears a mysterious but calm and pleasant sound. It is a spring of water singing to him, and he is enchanted. He wishes aloud that he could sing the sound of the bubbling water to tell his friends from the desert of its wonder. The stream speaks to him and in exchange for giving him the gift of its sound it asks Birdie to go to the four corners of the earth to spread the word. Birdie does so, and releases into the North Pole, and the savannas the power of the water to all the animals.
This is a very sweet and simple fable, with black and white sketches broken up with the pop of blue colour brought by the water and Birdie. Some issues with translation in the grammar and spelling, but this could be used in teaching the structure of a fable.
Reviewed by Angie Holst
