cover image Hungry Bird

Hungry Bird

Jeremy Tankard. Scholastic Press, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-545-86417-6

The surly star of Grumpy Bird and Boo Hoo Bird returns in a third picture book, a more apt title for which might be Hangry Bird. Out on a hike, Bird pesters his friends for a snack, only to rebuff their offerings. “Grass?” Bird tells Sheep. “I think you mean gross!” Once again, Tankard draws a lot of humor from the disconnect between the chunky-cute looks of his woodland cast and the angry depths of his rosy-cheeked hero, who at one point growls, “If I don’t eat this very instant, I might die!!!” Picky eaters would do well to learn from Bird’s friendship-testing dramatics and remember to pack their own snack. Ages 3–5. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)