Abby's Birds

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

The first person Abby meets when she moves to a new neighbourhood is
Mrs. Naka, an elderly Japanese lady. The two become firm friends,
spending many happy hours together watching a family of robins who have
built their nest in a nearby tree.

Mrs. Naka teaches Abby many things, among them how to fold tori
(origami birds). When Mrs. Naka falls, breaking her hip, and is
hospitalized for many weeks, Abby uses her newly mastered skill to plan
a very special “welcome home” surprise for her friend.

This is a lovely, gentle story of friendship between generations and
cultures (Abby is depicted with brown skin). Other themes include the
circle of life (the robins build a nest every spring, raise their young,
and then fly away, only to return the following year) and death (a baby
robin attempts to fly but is not yet strong enough). Small vignettes
included on several pages of text provide additional details.

Shefrin’s artwork (cut-paper collage) reflects the origami theme of
the story. Her full-page illustrations face each page of text.
Step-by-step instructions for folding an origami crane are found on the
reverse of the dust jacket. Recommended.