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Front and back covers of THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD |
How did I come up with the idea for Bat and Mr. Byrd's friendship story? It arrived one beautiful summer night a few years ago, when a bat and a bird flew past me as I walked down my street. They chirped and clicked and swooped so low that I ducked, then they flew together in perfect formation into a red maple tree, where they quietly disappeared.
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| Dawn, by Caroline Clarke |
I couldn't stop thinking about them. What were they doing? Battling? It didn't seem so, but it's possible. Or were they just flying the same course at the same time into the same tree? Also possible. Apparently, bats and robins aren't natural enemies since they rarely intersect in time and place, which only made their flight together more intriguing. I didn't know why they did it, but as a writer I knew a good story when it flew over my head.
So, this story began. That summer I had access to a sailboat in Toronto, and at twilight a few times a week I went to the harbour to write a little more about Bat and Mr. Byrd. The sweet pull of twilight on the water spun its magic and led directly to this creative departure for me: a short, lyrical ballad about the surprising discovery and love of a new friend.
Stories are everywhere, even right over our heads!
The Love Song of Mr. Byrd is about friendship and love and is for everyone who has ever been moved to sing (or dance, or paint, or write, or celebrate) like Mr. Byrd. I hope he inspires you to hear your own song, and sing it, too.
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