Review of Pinky and Bird

[Diana Lowery]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Pinky and Bird" by Dr. Claudia Nicholson.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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D​r. Claudia Nicholson is an animal lover who has a goal of teaching positivity to children through the antics of two adorable spaniels. The different personalities of the dogs represent the differences found in humans. Parents who read Pinky and Bird to their children can open up a discussion about acceptance.

The watercolor illustrations by Jagath Kosimodara are my favorite part of this book. The muted colors are soothing and detailed. Although at times the text does not match with the picture, they are still beautifully drawn. One example shows Pinky sitting on a cushion, but the text states she "lies in the washing clothes." Children are sure to notice the inconsistency.

D​ubious vocabulary choices were my least favorite part. There were two words used in this book that parents might find offensive. The first is that Pinky is called crazy. This term has become incorrect to use because of mental health awareness concerns. The other word used is butt. Although it rhymes perfectly with mutt in the poem, children are often told this is considered profanity. Another vocabulary issue is with the word bikkies. I had to look this one up because there were no context clues to guide me. It is Australian slang for cookies. It needs to be avoided or explained.

F​or the most part, the meter and rhyme lend themselves to a delightful read-out-loud situation. There are some forced rhymes and syntax rearrangements, but they are acceptable for a children's book. What is not acceptable is that I found two grammar errors. In a short children's book, this bothers me.

I​f I were rating this book on the illustrations, it would receive five out of five. If I were giving a rating solely on the text, it would be two out of five. My final decision is three out of five stars. I think that the intent of the author is to be applauded, but revisions need to be made.

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Pinky and Bird
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[Amy Luman]

I don’t have children to read books to anymore, but if I did, I don’t think that I’d choose this one. The inappropriate word choices (even though they rhyme) would be the reason. Thanks for another great review!

[Nenye Charles]

I particularly loved the fact that the author made this book both parent and child friendly. I like that parents are able to learn real life lessons from it. Thanks for a great review.