The Bird Feeder

In this gentle and heartfelt story, a young child spends time with her/his grandma watching birds, drawing and bonding before Grandma must go to a hospice. Andrew Larsen does an excellent job describing for young readers what a hospice is and hinting to adults that discussing difficult topics with children can help them prepare for and manage their emotions. The child is hesitant to visit the hospice and stops filling the bird feeder at home in defiance of her/his grandmother’s leaving home. However, it’s clear that the pair have a strong relationship and that the child loves and misses her/his grandmother.

Eventually, s/he visits Grandma at the hospice and notices that the tree outside her window could use a bird feeder. The child hangs a bird feeder to make Grandma feel more at home and comfortable, the bird feeder being the theme throughout the story and a physical reminder of the pair’s connection.

At the hospice, the child and grandma spend time together: they have jello, watch the birds from her window, visit with the therapy dog and draw. Unfortunately, over time, Grandma’s health declines, and she passes away. During their time together, watching the birds, the pair had noticed a nest being made, eggs being laid and new baby birds hatching. The child is further saddened when she/he realizes that grandma will not see the birds leave the nest. At home, the child hangs a bird feeder outside her/his own bedroom window, a reminder to think of her/his grandmother each time she/he looks at it.

The thoughtfulness and the empathy radiate in this story about the beautiful relationship between a grandparent and grandchild and the loss the latter feels. This situation resonates with so many intergenerational families, and adults have a difficult time in these situations. We must remember that children feel the same turmoil and confusion. The Bird Feeder is the perfect story to help put into words what a parent may not be able to do in those moments.

In The Bird Feeder, Larsen delicately writes about aging and dying in simple language while Dorothy Leung’s illustrations perfectly describe the emotions of the child. The images are simple but realistic with muted colours to match the theme of the story. In addition, all the drawings that the child and their grandma make are unique, detailed, and the birds are very clearly identifiable, with most being Canadian birds.