The Hunt for the Nightingale by Sarah Ann Juckes, illustrated by Sharon King-Chai
Publisher: Kane Miller Publishing
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 272 pages
Published: December 1st, 2024 (1st published 1/1/22 in UK)
Source: Publisher
Opening Line: "My big sister Rosie says that the first thing you need to do when you're feeling lost, is get your bearings."
Each year, Jasper and his older sister Rosie eagerly await the arrival of their beloved nightingale, who appears every spring in their garden gracing them with its song. However, this year the nightingale hasn't yet returned. Rosie promised to help Jasper to find it over the weekend but then she didn't come home either. Jasper's parents then tell him the sad news that Rosie has gone on to "a better place," which he understands to mean that she has disappeared. Jasper concludes that Rosie must have gone to search for the nightingale at the gas station where she spotted it last year, and all he has to do is walk there to find them both.
The Hunt for the Nightingale is a beautiful story that explores themes of sadness, grief, loss, and is a journey towards acceptance. It highlights the importance of parents communicating openly and in clear terms that kids can understand, rather than trying to deliver simplified messages. Phrases like "being in a better place" were too abstract for Jasper, leading him to focus on where is Rosie? Jasper also would have benefitted from parents who weren't so preoccupied with their work. One's who didn't forget his birthday. Or parents that weren't dismissive of Jasper and Rosie's passion for bird watching by making comments like it's "only a bird." It minimized the importance of Rosie having taught Jasper facts about birds and that they had been writing Rosie and Jasper's Book of Birds together. Jasper and his sister were obsessed with birds and it's something that their parents should have been more encouraging about.
On his way to the gas station, Jasper encountered many wonderful people, each leaving a lasting impression on him. There was Lulu, an older girl from his school with visual difficulties, who's searching for her lost dog. Madge who helps Jasper to navigate through a field of cows, Gan Tran Stevens and Ibrahim who help him to push through the tough questions and suggest breathing exercises for those panicky feelings he's been experiencing. Each offered him valuable advice, guiding him to come to terms with his loss. Jasper's raw emotions of anger, sorrow and denial are relatable and heartwarming for the reader. I must admit that it brought me to tears. Yet, there's also a tenderness and heartwarming sentiment in knowing that there were people who took the time to listen and cared for Jasper while he was in so much pain. Jasper changed following each interaction he made, becoming more courageous and gaining insight into his panic attacks. The book features Sharon King-Chai's exquisite bird illustrations and each chapter is punctuated with fascinating facts about birds. Overall, this is a beautiful story filled with emotion, warmth and lovely messaging.
**A huge thank you to Kane Miller Publishing for the paperback in exchange for an honest review. **
Each year, Jasper and his older sister Rosie eagerly await the arrival of their beloved nightingale, who appears every spring in their garden gracing them with its song. However, this year the nightingale hasn't yet returned. Rosie promised to help Jasper to find it over the weekend but then she didn't come home either. Jasper's parents then tell him the sad news that Rosie has gone on to "a better place," which he understands to mean that she has disappeared. Jasper concludes that Rosie must have gone to search for the nightingale at the gas station where she spotted it last year, and all he has to do is walk there to find them both.
The Hunt for the Nightingale is a beautiful story that explores themes of sadness, grief, loss, and is a journey towards acceptance. It highlights the importance of parents communicating openly and in clear terms that kids can understand, rather than trying to deliver simplified messages. Phrases like "being in a better place" were too abstract for Jasper, leading him to focus on where is Rosie? Jasper also would have benefitted from parents who weren't so preoccupied with their work. One's who didn't forget his birthday. Or parents that weren't dismissive of Jasper and Rosie's passion for bird watching by making comments like it's "only a bird." It minimized the importance of Rosie having taught Jasper facts about birds and that they had been writing Rosie and Jasper's Book of Birds together. Jasper and his sister were obsessed with birds and it's something that their parents should have been more encouraging about.
On his way to the gas station, Jasper encountered many wonderful people, each leaving a lasting impression on him. There was Lulu, an older girl from his school with visual difficulties, who's searching for her lost dog. Madge who helps Jasper to navigate through a field of cows, Gan Tran Stevens and Ibrahim who help him to push through the tough questions and suggest breathing exercises for those panicky feelings he's been experiencing. Each offered him valuable advice, guiding him to come to terms with his loss. Jasper's raw emotions of anger, sorrow and denial are relatable and heartwarming for the reader. I must admit that it brought me to tears. Yet, there's also a tenderness and heartwarming sentiment in knowing that there were people who took the time to listen and cared for Jasper while he was in so much pain. Jasper changed following each interaction he made, becoming more courageous and gaining insight into his panic attacks. The book features Sharon King-Chai's exquisite bird illustrations and each chapter is punctuated with fascinating facts about birds. Overall, this is a beautiful story filled with emotion, warmth and lovely messaging.
**A huge thank you to Kane Miller Publishing for the paperback in exchange for an honest review. **
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