LitPick Review
The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker begins with a colorful description of the small seaside town of Allora. When a devastating sickness sweeps through Allora, carpenter Alberto Cavello loses his wife and children and becomes the town coffin maker. He starts making his own coffin, but the plague is over before he finishes.
Many years later, when a poor woman named Miss Bonito needs a coffin, Alberto gives his to her. When food starts disappearing from Alberto’s home, he discovers that it’s due to a little boy, Tito, and his pet bird, Fia. Tito is Miss Bonito’s son, and he’s running away from his evil father. Alberto befriends Tito, and together they face sickness and the threat of Mr. Bonito. Will Mr. Bonito find Tito, or will the boy, the bird, and the coffin maker find happiness again? Read this fantastic book by Matilda Woods to find out!
Opinion:
I loved reading The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker by Matilda Woods. The author vividly described the setting and characters of the story. The illustrations by Anuska Allepuz were all in different shades of blue, allowing me to use my imagination to picture the scenes in full color. The folk-art style of the illustrations tied in with the folktale feeling of the book. The story starts off sad, but the twists and turns of the plot made it a fast read. All of the human characters felt realistic. The author brought some fantasy into the story with the bird (whose feathers turn colors when she’s happy) and the magical land of Isola. The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker is a wonderful story about overcoming adversity and the power of friendship. I would highly recommend this book to 8-11-year-olds.
