Librio Library #28 – The Song of the Nightingale – Tanya Landman and Laura Carlin
2 Minute ReadWhy we chose ‘The Song of the Nightingale’
‘The Song of the Nightingale’ is a beautiful story of creation with stunning illustrations. Told with good humour, it’s a gently moving tale about how all the animals (and bugs!) got their colours.In many ways, it reminds us of our very own ‘Welcome to the World’ book. The concept is beautifully thought out and it seemed the perfect colourful tale to add to our Library as the nights begin to draw in and the weather outside starts to turn a bit dull and gray.
Many years ago, the earth was young and so vibrant with colours, but the animals were all very dull and rather drab. The painter decided: something must be done! For a whole, very long day, the painter creates the stripes on the zebra, the sharp suit of the penguin and the bright splashes on parrots. But when she comes to the nightingale and her box of paints if empty, what can she do?
Favourite Image
There are so many gorgeous pictures in this book it’s hard to really pick just one! That being said though, one which made all of us chuckle is the one showing how the Mandrill got his colourful bottom! In this story, as the artist takes a well-earned break from her hard work he comes over and plonks himself on her paintbox. And there you have it, that’s how he got his famous colouring! Genius.
Kids will like
This book is perfect for a large range of ages. It’s beautifully written, with evocative language so if your little ones are slightly older, they’ll be able to enjoy that side of it. Even without the pictures it’d be a beautiful book, but the illustrations will definitely be the highlight for any child regardless of age.
Parents will like
The Song of the Nightingale is a wonderful book with a great and unusual concept. The story is so nicely written that it’s really quite moving. It’d be hard not to enjoy reading it out loud to little ones, or even just to sit down and appreciate the beauty of the illustrations on one’s own!
If you like ‘The Song of the Nightingale’
For those of you who are interested in seeing more work by the illustrator Laura Carlin, we can highly recommend ‘A world of Your Own’. It’s another wonderfully illustrated book which encourages little readers from age 4 upwards to embrace their own uniqueness and creativity. A great lesson to embrace at any age.
More recommendations from our collection
If you’re looking for something based on a similar theme to ‘The Song of the Nightingale’, our book ‘Welcome to the World’ is an uplifting story, introducing a child to our wonderful planet while inspiring parents to find wonder in the world around them. The perfect gift for newborns and new parents alike.
