Nerdy Birdy Tweets

Screen-addicted bird ignores real-life pal in funny story.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Nerdy Birdy Tweets by Aaron Reynolds (Creepy Pair of Underwear) and illustrated by Matt Davies is a sequel to their picture book Nerdy Birdy. When Nerdy Birdy becomes obsessed with collecting screen friends on "Tweetster," he ignores his real friend Vulture, who loves "snacking on dead things." The conflict comes to a head when Nerdy Birdy posts an embarrassing picture of Vulture without asking her. The many lessons -- about screen obsession, internet privacy, friendship, accepting and accommodating differences, and admitting one's mistakes -- are pointed, but delivered with humor.
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What's the Story?
In NERDY BIRDY TWEETS, Nerdy Birdy is obsessed with a new video game called "Tweetster." He collects friends online, plays games with them, and tweets messages and pictures. His friend Vulture would rather "eat dead things" than play Tweetster, and gets bored when Nerdy Birdy stays glued to the screen and brags about his new "friends." Still, Vulture joins Tweetster, and sometimes Nerdy Birdy puts down his screen so they can play their old games. But Vulture gets angry when she sees that Nerdy Birdy has posted an embarrassing picture of her, complete with snarky caption "@VULTUREGIRL IS A MESSY EATER. SHE EATS DEAD THINGS. EWWWWWWW!!" Nerdy Birdy realizes he's been a "bird brain" and apologizes, assuring Vulture that "One real live you is worth a thousand Tweetster friends."
Is It Any Good?
This fun animal friendship story, featuring a nerdy bird wearing glasses and a scraggly vulture, takes a contemporary spin with a plot that centers on computer games and social media manners. Nerdy Birdy Tweets explores some issues that are timeless; for instance, friends who are different, and apologizing when you're wrong. But it also ventures into screen etiquette, with friends who neglect real friends while stockpiling virtual ones, and friends who overshare. The lessons are pointed, but author Aaron Reynolds loads the book with so much humor that they don't seem preachy. Nerdy Birdy's giddy excitement is silly: "I'm friends with a puffin!! She lives in Iceland. Iceland!!" We giggle when Vulture flies away and Nerdy Birdy, glued to the screen, doesn't notice for an hour. And the birds play "Angry Worms." It's also refreshing that Vulture, who eats "dead animals," is a girl.
The art, by Matt Davis, who won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartoons, is as playful as the text. He gives both friends dry, deadpan expressions. Nerdy Birdy is so focused on his screen that he barely notices when Vulture encloses him in her beak. And a page that shows Nerdy Birdy's prolonged inattention travels from day to night. Is the picture book crowd active on social media, posting pictures and amassing online friends? Maybe not, but they can tuck these lessons away to apply in the near future.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the friendship in Nerdy Birdy Tweets. Do you have a good friend who likes to do different things than you do? How do you make sure both of you get to play what you like?
Why does Nerdy Birdy like to play on his screen so much? Do you do anything on the computer where you collect "friends"? What’s the difference between a screen "friend" and an actual friend?
Are your friends or family members always looking at screens? Do you ever have trouble getting their attention? How does that make you feel?
Book Details
- Author: Aaron Reynolds
- Illustrator: Matt Davies
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Friendship, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date: August 1, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 15, 2017
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