Budgie by Joseph Coelho illustrated by David Barrow

 

Miles loves to climb trees even though there are not too many of them outside his tower block of apartments. As he reaches the top of one tall tree an old man named Mr Buxton shouts at Miles and scares the young boy and his friends. The next day Miles finds tiny bird - a little yellow and green budgie. 

"I dart forward and carefully scoop it up in my hands. Its body feels weak, like an empty eggshell, but its heart is strong. I can feel it thumping through its body. I cup the budgie to my chest and rush home."

Miles names the little bird Pippin. He settles the tiny creature into a small box and feeds it some bread crumbs and water. 

"I run my fingers over the crayon box of its feathers, the bright sunburst of its head, the apple candy of its tummy down each wing with their black and yellow flecks. Its feathers feel a-kiss-on-an-eyelid soft."

The next morning Miles sees the box is empty and the window is open - I gasped - but it is okay Pippin is happily flying around the kitchen. Sadly, this is his final flight and day of life. I know this is a spoiler but if you are planning to share this book with a young child, I think you need to know that Pippin does die. Later we discover this is a very old budgie. He belonged to Mr Buxton and so now the story focus shifts to why Mr Buxton was so upset to see Miles climbing trees and how Mr Buxton came to own the budgie he named Lemon. I would suggest this book is for readers aged 7+.

The connection between Mr. Buxton and Miles is not only touching but encourages those intergenerational friendships which seem to be so undervalued in society. As the elderly are forgotten, so are their stories. Yet Mr. Buxton reminds us that we can learn so much from older people and their experiences and that they need connection too.  The Bread Crumb Forest

I have been waiting for quite a while to read this book. The cover really appealed to me especially because I once had a little budgie exactly like the one on this cover. 

Easy to read by readers of a wide range of ages, Budgie shows that stories that carry big emotions can be simply written. Julia Eccleshare LoveReading4Kids

Deep and meaningful stories do not need to be long to leave a lasting impression. Joseph Coelho’s Barrington Stoke debut proves that they can be short, wonderful, moving and accessible to young readers ... A word about books

I need to make a special mention of the art in Budgie by David Barrow. You can see his work on Instagram. Budgie is a title from the Little Gems series - click that label at the bottom of this post to see more of these gems!

Here is my other most favourite book about a budgie - Pete and Roland by Bob Graham. Sadly, this book is very very old and long out of print but I do wish I could read Pete and Roland to young child straight after Budgie by Josephy Coelho.

Here is another old Australian junior chapter book featuring a budgie - this one is from the Solo series. 

Budgie

I didn't know Budgerigars live in England. I discovered: The English Budgerigar, often referred to as the English Budgie or the Show Budgie, and the Australian Budgerigar, commonly known as the Australian Budgie or the Budgie, are two distinct variations of the same species, Melopsittacus undulatus. ... The English Budgie is larger and more robust compared to its Australian counterpart. It exhibits a more substantial and rounded head, with a broader face and a prominent forehead. In contrast, the Australian Budgie has a slightly smaller frame and a slimmer head, giving it a more streamlined appearance. ... Another significant difference lies in their plumage. The English Budgie is renowned for its luxurious, long, and profuse feathers. Its plumage displays an array of vivid colors and intricate patterns, ranging from vibrant blues and yellows to striking grays and greens.

This article went on to explain the English budgie does originate from our Australian one. Breeding over time has changed their size and feathers. In the early 19th century, British naturalists and explorers started bringing budgerigars from Australia to England. These birds captured the attention of breeders due to their captivating appearance, intelligence, and ability to mimic sounds and words.

Inside the front cover of Budgie (by Josephy Coelho) you can read some budgie facts:

• They live 7-15 years
• They have 3000 feathers
• Their heart beats 500 times per minute
• They love to eat vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and peas