A follow-up to I Love You, Blue, this new story has the same deceptive simplicity, in its ability to combine important issues with emotion and humour through art and story
One day Jonas the lighthouse keeper and his friend Blue the whale rescue a tired, bedraggled bird from the sea...a bird who has made a perilous journey from a far-off country, fleeing war and great danger. This beautiful story of care, refuge and freedom is told and illustrated with compassion and empathy.
Creators
Barroux has won many international honours, including the 2005 Prix Enfantasie and the 2015 Prix Médecins Sans Frontières in 2015. Born in Paris, he grew up in Morocco and has also lived in Canada and New York. As well as I Love You, Blue, he is illustrator of Hollis Kurman’s Hello: A Counting Book of Kindnesses (2020) and Counting in Green (2023), also published by Otter-Barry Books. He now lives in Paris.
Reviews
‘Free as a Bird’ is a gorgeous story, celebrating the importance of compassion, love and a place to call home. Thought-provoking and moving… The illustrations are just delightful, full of charm and character.A very powerful story, perfect for developing empathy, ‘Free as a Bird’ is a must have!”
Through The Bookshelf
Barroux’s hugely powerful, compassionate tale is told with great empathy, making effective use of the bird metaphor to convey the on-going plight of refugees fleeing war and other harm from many parts of the world.
Jill Bennett, Books for Keeps
Illustrated in pen and watercolour, Barroux’s simple, compassionate and hugely powerful story told with great empathy, uses the bird metaphor effectively to convey the on-going plight of refugees from so many different parts of the world. If only they could all find a safe haven like the little bird did.
Red Reading Hub
