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fernthepanda's review against another edition
3.0
Very beautiful, but I can't see many kids sitting still through it.
magdalena01's review
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
afro8921's review against another edition
5.0
A robin takes a long trip home to his mate in this wonderful picture book. During the journey he faces predators, thirst, hunger, and being lost. However, he does find comfort in a couple of different places during his trip home. The illustrations are so vibrant that I could just fall into them without the story. They definitely add a poignant element to the story and draw the reader deeply into the story. The text pairs perfectly with the illustrations with lush imagery that is almost poetic. Good picture book for the young bird enthusiast in your life.
f18's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
2.0
EDIT: well, discovered this book was made for a grocery store chain... :| I find it a little weird that a portion of the proceeds went to a charity for the support of homeless people, yet they are invisible in both the book and the ads? (I also didn't see any info on the charity in the book but I did already return it to the library so I can't double check.) There would have been ample opportunity to combat stigma in the storyline that already exists but it is what it is.
https://www.michaelmorpurgo.com/coming-home-short-story/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxU9c27qwgY
---
Check out the robin facts on the copyright page. I didn't see them until after finishing the book as they aren't visually highlighted.
Picture book written in a longform poem style, meant to evoke the inner thoughts of a bird, which I found slightly grating. The sections with smaller amounts of text had more emotional impact. Very pretty illustrations.
Maybe its just me, but I was uncomfortable with the pov character in a book for very young children to be almost entirely motivated by returning to his mate. As I was reading I kept being reminded of a soldier withstanding horrible experiences while thinking of a sweetheart back home.
For older kids, I'd say.
https://www.michaelmorpurgo.com/coming-home-short-story/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxU9c27qwgY
---
Check out the robin facts on the copyright page. I didn't see them until after finishing the book as they aren't visually highlighted.
Picture book written in a longform poem style, meant to evoke the inner thoughts of a bird, which I found slightly grating. The sections with smaller amounts of text had more emotional impact. Very pretty illustrations.
Maybe its just me, but I was uncomfortable with the pov character in a book for very young children to be almost entirely motivated by returning to his mate. As I was reading I kept being reminded of a soldier withstanding horrible experiences while thinking of a sweetheart back home.
For older kids, I'd say.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
shiprim's review against another edition
5.0
Poetic, touching, promising. Morpurgo's this beautiful poem is maybe not for the people who suffers pangs of love.
afro75's review against another edition
5.0
A robin takes a long trip home to his mate in this wonderful picture book. During the journey he faces predators, thirst, hunger, and being lost. However, he does find comfort in a couple of different places during his trip home. The illustrations are so vibrant that I could just fall into them without the story. They definitely add a poignant element to the story and draw the reader deeply into the story. The text pairs perfectly with the illustrations with lush imagery that is almost poetic. Good picture book for the young bird enthusiast in your life.
jadelibrarian's review
3.0
I liked it in the beginning, but it felt too long & detailed after a while.
georgiedawn's review
5.0
somebody left this at work so i read it on shift and it's just so beautiful i recommend this to everybody
ladybookdragon's review
4.0
Another book off my Christmas reading list. This is my accidental find as I was trying to find another book called Coming Home but forgot the author’s name and so just typed in the title and this came up. I am so pleased I did find it as it was a beautiful book to read.
A very quick read for me but enjoyable, and the illustrations were excellent. This book is all about a robin’s flight home, through perilous conditions but all he thinks about is getting home to his mate.
This book is very short, even for a children’s book and to be honest a little scary, I was very worried about the little robin especially when he was attacked. I am not entirely sure a child would enjoy it in some places, unless they are made of stronger stuff than I.
The story is fast paced and Morpurgo’s use of language is simple but perfectly descriptive and rolls along. It made me want to say it out loud, it was so full of drama and had a rhythm to it, which is probably why I read it so quickly. I went back through it when I had finished it to truly enjoy and look at the illustrations. My favourite illustration is below, the details of the birds are just stunning, I would happily have it framed on my wall.
At the end of the story there is a list of facts about Scandinavian robins, this list is brilliant! I never even knew there were Scandinavian robins, let alone their migrating habits and that they are almost identical to our own English robins.
This book I rated 4 stars out of 5, it did not get the full 5 because it was just too short for me! I wanted more about the little robin. I leave you with another of my favourite pages. A beautiful read for both children and adults.
Review originally published on my blog ladybookdragon.com
A very quick read for me but enjoyable, and the illustrations were excellent. This book is all about a robin’s flight home, through perilous conditions but all he thinks about is getting home to his mate.
This book is very short, even for a children’s book and to be honest a little scary, I was very worried about the little robin especially when he was attacked. I am not entirely sure a child would enjoy it in some places, unless they are made of stronger stuff than I.
The story is fast paced and Morpurgo’s use of language is simple but perfectly descriptive and rolls along. It made me want to say it out loud, it was so full of drama and had a rhythm to it, which is probably why I read it so quickly. I went back through it when I had finished it to truly enjoy and look at the illustrations. My favourite illustration is below, the details of the birds are just stunning, I would happily have it framed on my wall.
At the end of the story there is a list of facts about Scandinavian robins, this list is brilliant! I never even knew there were Scandinavian robins, let alone their migrating habits and that they are almost identical to our own English robins.
This book I rated 4 stars out of 5, it did not get the full 5 because it was just too short for me! I wanted more about the little robin. I leave you with another of my favourite pages. A beautiful read for both children and adults.
Review originally published on my blog ladybookdragon.com
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