When a small blue budgie needs to make room for a new bird to join his little flock, things don’t go so well. Barnaby, by Andrea Curtis and Kass Reich, is a lovely little story about making room for new friends.

When the new yellow bird comes home with the lady with the red hair, Barnaby is instantly jealous and lets everyone know. He gets so mad that he flies away, thinking he would be happier on his own. When he encounters a flock of dull, brown birds he’s sceptical at first but he learns from them how to be part of a flock and how to be a good friend.

The writing is beautiful and breathy, just like the flight of the bird on the wind. I love the descriptive text, it gives readers a clear picture of the setting of the story. You wouldn’t even need the illustrations to know exactly what everything looks like because of the beautiful text.

The illustrations are incredible. Kass Reich is one of our favourite illustrators, her work is distinctive and bold and so inviting. In Barnaby, the distinction between Barnaby and the other birds is stark, you can’t miss the little blue budgie out in the wild. The birds are expressive, animated and realistic, you can tell Kass Reich has spent time observing and studying birds.

This is a beautifully illustrated story with a charming narrative. Barnaby does not do well with change, but sometimes there are lessons to be learned when we least expect them,

Barnaby is a precious pre-reader story about a house bird who runs away only to find that there's no place like home. 

Sound familiar...? It's a trope that's rather tired in its telling, but this is a clever tale all the same. I requested a copy because we love birds. My 2 and 4 yr old boys weren't particularly interested in this one, there isn't much action. The concept of arrogance still goes over their heads so the message is lost on them. The story doesn't rhyme and only teaches about the birds--there's no "find-its," no abc/123 teaching opportunities, no extra info about what it's like to own a bird. 

The illustration is beautiful, beautiful!!!!! 

Thank you NetGalley and OwlKids books for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a beautiful book! The pictures are absolutely lovely, with very appealing landscapes and adorable birds. I  LOVE parakeets, and this book captures how cute they are and what distinct and delightful personalities they have, including both their mischievousness and affectionateness. When the worst happens (at least for a parakeet owner) and Barnaby escapes, I was very happy that he not only had great experiences with the wild birds he came to befriend, but also that he found his way home, with a totally heartwarming ending. I loved this book and only will  buy it for my library and read it in storytime, but I'll also buy copies for the grandchildren--and maybe one to keep for myself too! Many thanks to Owlkids Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this charming book. Can't wait for it to come out!

I thought Barnaby was a cute story with a great message. I would absolutely utilize this story in my classroom. It hits the standards of character development, plot, and theme. I love the message and journey that Barnaby goes on when things don't seem to go his way. He shows great character development and undergoes a major shift as he learns the lesson of what home is at the end of the story.

A cute story of how jealousy turns into understanding and friendship. Barnaby is a bird who enjoys the comforts of his life, until his owner brings home another bird. After fleeing the house, Barnaby learns about himself and life. I will enjoy sharing this book with my students as a read aloud and possibly use as an intro to a discussion about what jealousy can look like & how to overcome it.

Wonderful children’s book! I love the sentiment of this story and the illustrations as well. I see this becoming a story time favorite!

What a beautiful little story about making friends and appreciating home and loved ones.  The artwork is adorable and soothing even when the story gets a bit sad.  This would be a great gift to bird lovers even if not young.  Thank you NetGalley for the ARC to review!

Thank you NetGalley and Owlkids Books for the digital advance reading copy of this book.

This was such a sweet book about a budgie that gets jealous and learns to appreciate the beauty of kindness.  The illustrations were detailed, colorful, and fantastic.  A great addition to any library.

Barnaby is a little blue budgie bird with a comfortable home and a "kind lady" who feeds him and plays with him. When she brings home another bird one day, Barnaby refuses to be friends and escapes, only to be lost and alone and wish he could find home. The tale of Barnaby finding out the meaning of friendship and family and trying to return home is beautifully illustrated. This would make a nice group or one-on-one read aloud to start a discussion about feelings and families and friendship. Recommended, especially for bird lovers!

I love this story of the little blue budgie. I had a parakeet just like it when I was little. I named him Petey and would try to teach him to say him name. The budgie in this story is upset because his owner brings home another bird. When the lady refuses to remove the new bird he flies out the window. He learns how to make new friends with other birds that are not like him. They teach him how to survive without the lady's help. All the while he is searching for his home. When he finally finds it he sees the new bird still there. He makes friends with the new bird by bringing her a berry from outside. Having new friends that are different than you is a good thing! They can teach you new things and you will not be alone.
I absolutely love the beautiful illustrations in this book. Soft colors and wonderful detail.

This young reader packs quite a bit of story into such a compact frame.  Nothing to do with Midsommer Murders, it is instead about a budgie called Barnaby, who gets extremely ratty when his human mummy comes home with a little yellow canary, and flies the nest at the first opportunity.  So not only do we have him coping with the outside world, and being taught its ins and outs by some new friends, but also the change in Barnaby's mind that lets us see whether he finds his way home or not.  Pleasant illustrations that give both accuracy and character to the birds, and an old-fashioned font and sort of copper-plated text boxes, all give a classical feel to this, and it's a rich experience for the right audience member.

A very sweet story about a bird who runs away from home and discovers the outside world. I loved reading about Barnaby’s journey! The artwork for this book was very pretty and the adventure was a fun read. I definitely think this would make a great read for kids!

*Thanks netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Barnaby by Andrea Curtis is a sweet and whimsical story that felt so real and heartfelt.

Barnaby the budgie gets jealous when his owner brings a new bird home, so he flies away one day and has to find a new way, or his way back.

I enjoy the parallel children might find in feeling jealous and not handling change well. They might find some empathy for Barnaby, and I'm sure would have some good ideas for what they would do in his situation.

I really loved the beautiful illustrations and text layout as well. Overall a lovely book that I'd recommend as an addition to a personal library!

I'd be lying if I said I'm not currently crying after finishing this. Touching story that (clearly) will resonate with all age groups, not just children. The artwork is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. The story is easy to follow and relatable. I would love to read this to my future kids and am definitely buying this once it's released!

This was such a cute story. The little jealous bird Barnaby learns how to accept another bird in his home. This would be a great tool for helping kids who are jealous of new siblings.

When I saw the cover of this book, I wanted to download it immediately. 

This is a sweet story about a little bird who steps outside of his life into a wider world and learns a few things about inclusion and looking past the surface in the process. 

Barnaby, the title character, is a beautful blue bird who lives in a home with a woman. When she brings home another bird, his life is disrupted and at one point he flies out of the open window. After losing the home, he has to learn how to get along with the 'dull birds'. 

I loved the whimsical illustrations of this book, and it's a lovely one to have on hand for the preK set.

What a sweet story! It was well written with beautiful illustrations that will hold the child's attention. Thank you Owlkids Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this beautiful book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book, I am a fan of birds and the artwork in this book is just superb. I enjoyed the story that the bird became jealous when the lady brought another bird to into the house. How Branaby left and then learned the importance of companionship. The artwork and the story make for a perfect picture book.

A pampered budgie named Barnaby enjoys the good life with his doting owner. One day, she decides to bring a new companion for him home, a small yellow canary. Barnaby throws a tantrum in protest, but the lady will not tolerate the behavior and returns him to a covered cage. At the next opportunity, Barnaby decides to fly the coop and explore his options. He comes upon a group of sparrows and learns to appreciate how to survive. While integrating into the flock, he continues to search for his former home. Will he find it and will he be received back home?

The gorgeous gouache illustrations really participate well in the story-telling. The story is told is beautifully descriptive words. I think all children will feel the concern for this little prideful budgie and learn a lesson about life along the way.