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I Am a Bird

Illustrated by Jaime Kim

About The Book

Celebrate the bonds between fathers, sons, and nature with this lovely, sun-drenched debut picture book.

I am a bird. I glide
into arms open wide.
I’m the hands that hold
and the eyes that shine…
when it’s you
and it’s me
and the sea.


A boy and his father spend their day at the beach, exploring the shore, the sand, the water, and everything in between. The result is a warm, elegant celebration of nature, connection, and the myriad relationships formed all around us.

About The Author

Photo (c) Adrineh Gregorian

Dana Walrath, an anthropologist and artist who has lived and worked all over the world, believes we are all as connected as the ocean and air we share. Her other books include the young adult verse novel Like Water on Stone and the graphic memoir Aliceheimer’s. I Am a Bird is her first picture book. When not playing in the waves, she lives in the mountains of Vermont. Visit her at DanaWalrath.com.

About The Illustrator

Photograph © Somyung Kim

Jaime Kim was born and raised in Korea and moved to the United States when she was eighteen. She works with gouache and acrylics to create illustrations inspired by childhood memories and the outside world. Jaime is the illustrator of several books for children, including And Then Comes Summer and the bestselling Take Heart, My Child. She lives in North Carolina. Visit her at JaimeKim.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (May 1, 2018)
  • Length: 32 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781481480031
  • Ages: 4 - 8

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Raves and Reviews

“Kim certainly manages to convey both the delight the pair finds in each other's company and the child's exuberance. . . . Imaginative children could take this idea far; so could teachers covering homonyms and metaphors.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“A free-verse poem that celebrates the way that nouns can become verbs . . . a prompt that can start children off on a search for other words that work in the same way.”

– Publishers Weekly

“A sweet and immersive appreciation of nature and family time together. Perfect for one-on-one and small group sharing.”

– School Library Journal

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More books from this illustrator: Jaime Kim