Hello, friends! Sorry we missed our review yesterday, but to make up for it, we’ve got a double review for you! Our books today are the first two titles in the Really Bird series – I Really Want to Be First! and I Really Want a Bigger Piece! – written by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Travis Foster.

In both books, the reader is introduced to Really Bird, an outspoken little bird so named for their rather BIG emotions; Really Bird doesn’t just get happy or sad or thirsty, they get REALLY happy or REALLY sad or REALLY thirsty. In Be First!, Really Bird decides that they are really tired of being last, and want to act as leader that day for their trio of friends, which includes Cat and Pup. All goes well at first, but unfortunately, Really Bird leads their pals into a precarious spot, and the trio must work out how to get home. In Bigger Piece!, the three friends share a picnic pie, but have differing opinions on who should get the largest and best piece. Really Bird is really hungry, but since they’re the smallest, the other two don’t think the bird should get the biggest piece. The friends will have to decide what they think is fair for everyone, or no one will be able to enjoy their picnic.

Playful lessons in problem-solving. These early readers feature simple storylines that tackle kid-oriented problems, with solutions focusing on care, kindness, and consideration. Bigger Piece!’s storyline is slightly stronger, as it nicely explores come complex ideas on fair distribution. Be First! has a less satisfying ending, especially since Ready Bird doesn’t seem particularly apologetic or remorseful for scaring poor Pup. Both books feature follow-up questions for young readers, and the dialogue-exclusive text in speech bubbles is fun to read aloud, especially if you have character voices ready. Foster’s cartoonish illustrations are bright and fun (and that blueberry pie looked delicious). The lengths were fine for elementary readers, and JJ enjoyed both books very much. Overall, this is could be a fun new series for bookworms beginning to read independently, and we enjoyed it – Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: Copies of these books were provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)