All Of These Birds!?
I, Parrot
By Deb Olin Unferth
Illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle
I came across this graphic novel on my trip to a favorite local bookstore recently (BookPeople; Austin, TX; check it out, one of the great independent bookstores still around). My usual strategy at a bookstore is to, first, spend a while browsing throughout the space, all while gathering a load of interesting picks; then take my bounty, of usually around 15 books, weed through them, and sit at the cafe with a coffee, and a fresh selection to read through. Complex as it sounds, I think of it as peacefully reading/watching a film in your own little way.
I, Parrot is a story about a woman, named Daphne, who is down in the dumps of life, working a boring job, and suffering a recent divorce that gives her almost no custody of her young son.
One day, her boss, going away on a business trip, asks if she wants to pet sit her parrots. With some nice money involved as well, Daphne readily agrees to bird sitting for the week. Everything seems fine, until upon her arrival, she finds there to be not 1, not 5, but 23 parrots for her to take care of. Not knowing where to even start in this whole ordeal, she calls her best friend; who although doesn’t always meet eye to eye with her [Daphne’s] quirky views, still loves and supports her through the hardest of times. It is now up to this little team to confront the challenges of caring for these many parrots, and make sure everything stays under control amid a sea of squaks and caws flowing from seemingly every direction.
With its playful, and artistic design, this is a great, colorful addition to the library. The artwork in this book is very friendly as well. This is just one of those fun little stories to curl up with on the couch.
Here’s the link to purchase the book at: