Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Toddlers can follow a black bird as it goes on a colorful expedition from yellow sun to fabled blue moon in this concept board book.As the titular black bird goes from page to page it makes a striking contrast against the vibrantly colored objects it encounters along the way. Simple, declarative statements in large black type on each page identify the objects: "Black Bird / Purple Grapes // Black Bird / Green Grass // Black Bird / Red Snake." The bird often interacts with its colorful surroundings, seeming about to pluck a grape and, perhaps, flying away from that red snake. In a departure from his recent line-heavy style for older readers (Lucky Lazlo, 2016, etc.), Light's clear, uncomplicated illustrations are done in collage and by printing cardboard shapes with ink. The result is so wonderfully textural children will be tempted to touch, and adult readers and their young listeners may even be inspired to try their own hands at stamping with thick gooey paint. Observant readers will not fail to notice there is a small orange worm also making its way across the book. Once again, Light (Trucks Go, 2008, etc.) shows his understanding of the target age group.Beautiful in its simplicity, this book deserves a spot on any toddler's bookshelf. (Board book. 1-3) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

School Library Journal
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Toddler-PreS-A delightful journey through a day filled with bright exciting colors. The bold yellow sun comes up and a black bird and a small orange worm greet it while standing on a black branch. Then they're off! Readers will follow eagerly as the pair move through each new environment until at last they meet a blue moon at the end of a very full day. The ink-and-paper collage illustrations bring each new setting to life with heavy, textured stamps. The black bird is created out of single piece of black paper but the changes in its eyes, posture, and positioning convey fear, curiosity, and happiness as it flies and walks through the colorful world. The words are printed with bold black type and the text doesn't stray from the repeating color format (e.g., "Black Bird/Orange Leaves, Black Bird/Red Snake") The story provides ample opportunities to talk about sizes, shapes, textures, and colors. VERDICT Adventurous and exciting but simple enough for even the earliest readers, this is an excellent board book and a first purchase.-Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.