Author(s): JUDITH HENDERSON

New Release Picture Books

A perfectly pitched story about a bear, a bird, and a bond forged through music. Spring is here, and Bear is finally emerging from his hollow to greet his forest friends. Suddenly, he hears beautiful singing coming from above. It's Bird, practicing for the forest Opera! When Bird tells Bear that she's auditioning for a duet, Bear decides to try out as well, and asks if he can practice with her. Bird agrees, and as the pair rehearses their song, an unlikely friendship begins. After the audition, Bird is cast in the opera-but Bear is not. Devastated, Bear returns to his hollow to hide. Bird comes to comfort him and insists that the pair are still a duet, with or without a stage to sing on. Reassured of their close bond, Bear celebrates Bird's success at the Opera, getting the best seat in the house and quietly singing along with his friend. This tender celebration of loyalty, friendship, and song is brought to life with Judith Henderson's lyrical text and the soft, magical illustrations of Nahid Kazemi. Together, Bird and Bear face the music and find that the strongest connections can weather the most difficult disappointments with empathy, resilience, and mutual support. AGES: 4 to 7 AUTHOR: Judith Henderson is an author, illustrator, and composer who wrote the theme song for the Emmy Award-winning show Arthur. Judith has written over twenty children's books. When her friend Nahid asked her to "write something about friendship, respect, and love," that's exactly what she did! Judith lives and works in Montreal, Canada. Nahid Kazemi is an illustrator and multidisciplinary artist who has published more than 65 children's books. She won the 2022 Governor General's Literary Awards in Canada and has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. She was IBBY Canada's Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence for 2018 and TD Summer Reading Club illustrator for 2022. She lives in Montréal, Quebec. SELLING POINTS: . Written by acclaimed musician and children's book author Judith Henderson . Art by Nahid Kazemi, illustrator of the Governor General's Literary Award winning picture book The Sour Cherry Tree Highlights compassion in friendship and the ability to bounce back after disappointment . STEM connections to hibernation and seasonal changes . A kid-friendly introduction to music and opera