The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker

Alberto, a carpenter, lives alone in a small town by the ocean. He built beautiful furniture and lovely toys for his children, but he lost his wife and all three of his children when a plague gripped the town. After he lost his family, he lost the desire to build anything except coffins. A young woman dies and is brought to Alberto for burial. Something about her touches him, and she stays on his mind. Soon, Alberto notices food missing from his kitchen, and he discovers the thief is a young boy, Tito, with a glittering bird, Fia, for a pet. Alberto finds a way to talk to the frightened boy, and an unlikely friendship forms. Alberto hears the boy’s story (Tito is the young woman’s son) and knows he must protect Tito and Fia.

Author Matilda Woods has written a sweet but melancholy story that has the feel of an old-fashioned folk tale from some long-ago culture. The writing is lovely and quite lyrical, and the characters are sympathetic and well-drawn. The books has decoration on every page and is interspersed with simple drawings in muted colors. Middle-graders who like quiet books will like this.