The Mountain that Loved a Bird by Alice McClerran and Pictures by Eric Carle (Review by Brett Tillman)

This is a truly beautiful love story! Joy the bird befriends a bare mountain along her yearly migratory journey. It is the first voice - the first touch - the mountain ever knows. And the first mountain to ever speak to Joy. But, alas, as much as she would like to stay Joy must move on for there is no food or water for her on that bare mountain.

But Joy promises to return each year of her life and for many generations her daughters continue to return to that mountain. And each year that mountain’s heart is broken when Joy must leave, until finally he is unable to speak but only weeps. I’m not going to give away the ending. You will have to find that out for yourself!

Through the beautiful artwork of Eric Carle and wonderful prose of Alice McClerran, this story sends some powerful messages. On the one hand it paints a great symbolic picture of how to keep something close to heart - taking it with you wherever you are led. Whether a great lesson or messages implanted during your student’s time with you, The Mountain that Loved a Bird, speaks volumes about nurturing and caring for that message. It makes a tremendous sendoff for my students as they head home after their week at Camp Highland - hopefully taking their experiences and new perspectives with them.

On the other hand, for you naturalists out there, there are several environmental and ecological themes running through the book, from the long geologic history of mountains contrasted to the short life of a bird, to the lessons of biogeography and succession - not to mention the food and water needs of Joy along her migration. And, of course, there is that seed…

Check out The Mountain that Loved a Bird! It is a truly beautiful love story!