As children, we are taught to believe in ourselves, have faith, and never give up. All of those mantras come from parents, teachers, and caregivers. It’s during the early years of elementary school that we begin to build our self-confidence. Great picture books with engaging plots are just one way to help young children imagine the possibilities and find relatable characters who can give them the confidence boost they need.

Birds Can Fly, A Cat Tries is the adorable wordless picture book by author, T.C. Bartlett. Conveying an engaging and well-developed plot with illustrations alone is incredibly difficult, but Bartlett has more than managed to hand young readers a fantastic story for the ages. A cat who desires to fly–there is nothing more engaging than watching him give it his all. Bartlett’s story teaches readers to never give up and does so through humor, strategically placed nuances in illustrations, and a fun main character who is bursting with attitude.

As a third grade teacher currently in the middle of a unit on central messages, I am excited to incorporate Bartlett’s work into my reading block. Wordless picture books are a great resource for teachers, and watching Bartlett’s birds as they taunt the determined cat will provide my students with the perfect opportunity to brainstorm and write their own dialogue. I am confident that my students will fall as much in love with Barlett’s feline protagonist as I have.

I am giving Birds Can Fly, A Cat Tries by T.C. Bartlett a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. The sweet illustrations and expressive faces of the characters make this book a must have for elementary classrooms. I encourage any teacher or homeschooling parent who wants to teach dialogue to his/her students to include this book in their bag of tricks.

Pages: 50 | ISBN: 1733908668