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Reviews: Igor, the Bird who Couldn't Sing
This review was first published in the Evening Standard, Feb 11, 2005.
When Igor eagerly starts to trill, the Dawn Chorus tell him he's out of tune. Even with the help of a metronome, a tuning fork and extra tuition from Madam Goose, Igor's warbling is flatter than a pancake, screechier than the local rapper cats and rocker dogs. He finds inspiration in his own space, a scarlet sunset and a kindly old Dodo, and together they make music.
Don't worry if your voice breaks the window, keep going, is the message of Kitamura's illustrated fable - dedicated, surprisingly, to the free jazz of Ornette Coleman. For ages three and up.
By Katie Law.
A Music teacher's review.
As a musician, teacher, a teacher of teachers and a mother of two girls, ages 5 and 2, I found this delightful children's book resonating with me on many levels. In our family, Satoshi Kitamura's work already is beloved. Titles such as Cat is Thirst, Dog is Hungry, and Duck is Dirty, were among the first board books that my children, as toddlers, carried around with them, gnawed on and forced my husband and me to read to them over and over and over again.
My 5-year-old giggled aloud at the silly premise of a tone-deaf and rhythmically challenged bird, Igor, who sets out in search of music lessons. His teacher, Madam Goose, does her very best, but concedes defeat after trying everything in her power to help Igor.
Everywhere Igor turns, he is surrounded by music in the air. His heart is broken as he would like nothing better than to join his friends in making music, but nobody will let him. In the end, he discovers a wide-open desolate space, and because he can't help himself, he begins to sing. "Igor sang and sang. And as he sang, he felt his music ripple and jolt the evening air. He felt happy. He felt free." Now THAT is a message to inspire us all!
Igor is for slightly older children, but my 2-year-old also enjoyed looking at the whimsical and hilarious pictures throughout the book. Wonderful illustrations of jamming jazz-cats, rocking-out rottweliers, a symphony of sheep and much more, are full of character and humor. This has become our household's new favorite book and while we will have to read this over and over and over again, I think my husband and I will enjoy it, at least the first hundred times or so.
Reviewed by Midori Koga, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
© 2005 Music Teachers National Association, Inc.
A Bookloons review.
Igor is eagerly anticipating his first spring so he can sing with the rest of the birds. The only problem is, he discovers, much to his dismay, that he has no talent for singing.
Igor practices his heart out, and even takes music lessons, but to no avail. He simply cannot sing and is the laughingstock of the whole bird community. Lonely and ashamed, Igor flies around the world, but wherever he goes, he hears music. One day, thinking he is alone, he belts out a song or two and inadvertently awakens a long-extinct dodo bird, who appreciates Igor's singing, and so gives the bird a confidence boost.
The premise is a good one, though the story falters a bit at the end. The illustrations are simple and colorful, drawn in Kitamura's usual playful style. Overall, this is a pretty good book about finding your inner musician, and hence, your true nature.
Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch.
Igor, the Bird who Couldn't Sing was published in 2005 by Andersen Press.
