5 Questions about THE WAR LANTERN and writing historical fiction for children ...

"Told through alternating narrators, this fascinating World War II novel will hook readers until the very end." --School Library Journal (Aug. 2026), STARRED REVIEW

The War Lantern is coming OCTOBER 17, 2026 from DCB Young Readers! It's my new middle grade historical fiction and is inspired by my family history in WWII. I learned so much about myself, my English family, WWII, and how to write historical fiction for children, which I've discovered is an extremely demanding genre. My research took me to my family's village in England, and to some impressive war museums and memorials.

Since the book is coming out soon, it's a good time to reflect and answer the Top 5 questions readers might ask about the book ...

1. What's THE WAR LANTERN about?

At 2:30 in the afternoon on February 27, 1941, a single German Luftwaffe Heinkel 111 bombed the Parnall Aircraft Factory in Yate, Gloucestershire, UK. It was a bold daylight "pirate raid" that killed 53 aircraft workers and injured many more. My father, aged fifteen, was working at the factory that day: he survived by diving under his lathe. His experience inspired The War Lantern. 

Author's father, 1941, age 15

The story takes place over 24-hours in hourly increments, and has three first-person teenage narrators: my father in England, a German girl, Gisele, in Nazi Germany, and an underage Royal Air Force (RAF) rear machine gunner, Tail End Charlie, also from England.

My father's narrative is about daily village life, family, and the bombing. Gisele's story takes readers into the heart of Nazi Germany when she learns that her government is going to take her little brother away for not being perfect. Overhead and way at the back of his Whitley bomber, Tail End Charlie learns hard truths about war and killing, yet remains hopeful that the war must end soon. (In reality, in February 1941 it had barely begun.)

The story explores the cost, universality, and connection of war across enemy lines, as paid by children, youth, and families. By the end of the book, readers understand that all three narrators are connected by a single event: the bombing of Parnall's. 

2. What research went into writing the book? 

Author at Imperial War
Museum Archives, 9/2023

I began my very first research for the book in 2019, seven years before publication, but the most intense research happened between 2023 and 2026. 

RAF rear gunner turret

With thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts for a generous Research and Creation grant which allowed me to travel to England and sites in Canada, my research about the bombing took me to the world-famous Imperial War Museum in London, where I read a first-hand account written by a 15-year-old volunteer fireman, Richard Ford. Since they were from the same village and the same age, my father and Richard must have known each other. 

I also viewed dozens of photographs by the war photographer Paule Vezelay, specifically her March 1941 photos of the Pucklechurch RAF Barrage Balloon camp, where my father played the drums in an RAF swing music orchestra and which figures in the book. 

While in London, I also visited the Bomber Command Memorial at Hyde Park Corner many times over the several days that I was there. It was incredibly moving: 55,000 RAF bomber crew died between 1940 and 1945, their average age was 22. 

Author at the Bomber Command
Memorial, London (2023)

Parnall’s Aircraft Factory was one of the only factories in England during WWII that manufactured machine gun turrets for RAF warplanes, like the famous Lancaster bomber which rolled off the production lines in September, 1941. The day of the Parnall's bombing they were just beginning to make turrets to fit the first Lancasters to come.

Some of my research was about that: what was the RAF like in 1941; what's a machine gun turret; how was it made; who used it; what happened on an RAF night-time bombing run? 

What was it like to be a Tail End Charlie, the rear gunner looking out into the darkness, waiting to shoot at prowling Luftwaffe fighter planes? I discovered that in a nighttime dogfight with German warplanes, the rear gunners were often the first to die.

I travelled to Chipping Sodbury, UK, the town where my father grew up. At the Yate Heritage Centre nearby, I listened to hours and hours of incredible Parnall's bombing survivor recordings in the Yate Oral History Project. 

Author at Parnall's factory site
Photo courtesy Rich McDonough

On an exclusive tour of the former Parnall’s factory site in Yate, my tour guide and I got lost in the darkness of the underground WWII infirmary and air-raid shelter. It was hard enough to remain calm on a quiet summer day in peacetime; how did they remain calm when the bombs fell? Or did panic reign?

That day held one of the most incredible moments of my life. I stood inside the factory, possibly in the very spot that my father's lathe would have stood and where he survived the bombing. I have to say that was overwhelming and sobering. Yes, I wept, although I tried to be stoic. My English tour guides were very kind, provided tissues and tea, and made allowances for this Canadian. Thank you to them!

Blue door entrance to the WWII
Parnall's Infirmary & Air raid shelter

I also visited the Canadian Heritage Warplane Museum near Hamilton, Ontario, and was given a personal guided tour of their 1945 Lancaster bomber, one of the last made in the world. I got to see the tiny, lonely space where the rear gunner sat on an RAF nighttime bombing run to Germany. The turrets were cramped, dark, freezing at 20,000 feet, lonely, and dangerous. It took a special kind of innocence and youthful toughness to survive the flight, let alone the fighting.

There is also a great deal of research that went into writing the German side of the story. I spent hundreds of hours watching video of WWII German life and the Luftwaffe (their air force) in 1941. I read many books for children about Germany in WWII, both fiction and non-fiction. I spent hours and hours learning about Hitler Youth and the horrors of Nazi propaganda for children, plus researched the specific pilot and crew who bombed Parnall's. They were a top crew and the 20th Luftwaffe attempt to bomb the factory; all previous 19 crews had failed. 

 It was incredibly eye-opening to be in their world too, the German families, pilots, and children. I found much that was comparable between Gisele and Marcus, yet so much that was horribly different. 

One example: Marcus plays in the Pucklechurch swing orchestra in the book (and in real life). At the BDM/Hitler Youth meeting for girls, Gisele hears about the "Swing Kids" and is warned not to become one of them. As my research went deeper into the youthful resistance of the swing kids (their crime was listening to American and British swing music), I discovered that many hundreds of them were rounded up and murdered by the Nazis later in the war. 

Here's a trailer for a 1993 movie about the German SWING KIDS, with Christian Bale.  

Final thoughts on research ...

I read constantly and widely. I read stacks and stacks (and stacks) of historical fiction and non-fiction books (and watched their movie adaptations) about WWII for middle grade readers and adults, from writers all over the world. I can't possibly name them all here but a few include: The Book Thief (Markus Zusak), All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr), Making Bombs for Hitler (Marsha Skrypuch, Canadian writer), War Stories (Gordon Korman, Canadian), Under the Iron Bridge (Kathy Kacer, Canadian), many Alan Gratz books including Prisoner B-3087, Eyes on the Ice (Anna Rosner), Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow (Susan Bartoletti), and many, many more. I read constantly, which provided a valuable writer's reference library of styles, ideas, and interesting secondary-text facts. 

A note on using the internet: I did use the internet for research too, but usually only after I'd found the first mention or facts about something in a book. OR, I stayed within well known and trusted sites like the Imperial War Museum (IWM) or the US Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM).

Finally: My final advice to anyone writing historical fiction for children is to find a group of fellow writers who do the work too and ask questions! MANY THANKS to Canadian author Marsha Skrypuch for discussing war words in titles for young readers, her thoughtful advice was absolutely what I needed to hear to choose the right words for THE WAR LANTERN. And many thanks also to Frieda Wishinsky, Rebecca Upjohn, Monica Kulling, there from the start and writers and historians all. 

3. What was it like to write about a family member and his survival of a real WWII event?

Author's grandparents, uncle, and father (right) 
Chipping Sodbury @ 1930

I was close to my father. We look alike and my love of music and books came from him. At the beginning of this book project, I had no idea that writing about him would be so hard, though. I soon realized that because I was writing about family and a real event that killed 53 people and injured many more, I had to be as exacting in the facts as possible, and respectful of the horrors of the bombing without being merely sensational. I had a duty to be responsible with people's lives in that place at that time, so I had to get the facts right.

Although I knew the outlines of the story of my father's bombing survival, which he shared with me in it's entirety when he was well into old age, I knew none of the real facts, or much about the life that my father and his family lived in February, 1941 in Chipping Sodbury. So I went to the UK to visit his family home on Broad Street, and walk the hills, see the churches, the factory site, the school. I met people who knew my grandparents (no one remembered my father, who left England to come to Canada right after the war), and those who knew my grandfather Murray's photography.

Murray Dowding photo of Stone Henge @ 1905

I am usually careful in my writing, but for this project I felt an extra burden of being as exact as I could, to honour the people who fought and died, or lived. I hope I achieved that; there will be inaccuracies and I apologize for those, but I hope the feeling is right. There's no one left in my family to ask about life in 1941 anymore, so that solitary act of being the one to tell the story was a great honour, a responsibility, and I took it as a solemn and sacred duty. 

That's the biggest difference between all my other books and this one: I had to get it right.

4. What's the greatest problem I had to overcome in writing THE WAR LANTERN? 

The greatest problem I had was working day after day for three years, deeply mired in the relentless sorrow, fear, and destruction of war. 

The actual Parnall's bombing scene is something that I wrote and rewrote dozens of times, and writers will understand this, but if you're not a writer, here's the truth: we write best when we go right into the scene, feel, see, hear, smell, touch everything that our characters do. It's an act of willful and controlled dissociation from the here and now, and in this case, an act of time-travel too. 

A Luftwaffe Heinkel 111 bomber

It was difficult to willingly venture every day into the desperate fear of England and the absolute horrors of Nazi Germany in February, 1941. I had to take many breaks, and some days I knew I had to take time away from writing. 

At times, the sorrow and senseless reality of death and war weighed heavily on me, and I could have stopped writing the book altogether, but as I say in my acknowledgments, my young characters got me through. 

Marcus, Gisele, and Charlie had no choice but to live through WWII, so I could write about it safely from my office decades later. I couldn't stop, for them.

Parnall's turret assembly shop, 4 days after the 1941 bombing

I persevered and I'm so grateful that I did. Thank you again to the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and my amazing publishing, editing and marketing team at DCB Young Readers. Near the end of the final, final edits in June 2026, my wonderful editor said to me patiently and kindly, "Philippa, you may be overthinking this." Yes, I agreed. I definitely am, and I definitely must.

5. Any advice for writers of historical fiction for children? 

Go for it. Expect it to be hard. Keep good notes and write everything down (don't rely on memory even if yours is much better than mine). Follow the crumbs. Revisit your research often. Be brave. Take breaks from the material when you need to. Let your characters lead the way. Write about difficult things, because the next generation of readers need to know. Be the bridge between then and now. Hold the torch high. Let your heart break when it needs to, just a little. Do it for you, do it for them, do it for everyone, but do it. 

From journey to book! PD, September 2026

Historical fiction for children is the most challenging genre I've ever tackled, but in the end it has been the the most rewarding work of all.

GOOD LUCK!

All Posts about THE WAR LANTERN on this blog

 You're Invited to the Book Launch: 

November 3rd, 2026, 6:30 - 8: 30 p.m.,

Mabel's Fables Bookstore, Toronto 

A great KIRKUS REVIEW for The War Lantern!

 

"A powerful reminder, told with immediacy and intimacy, that during wartime, every perspective tells a human story. (Historical fiction. 9-14)" 

-- Kirkus Reviews (August, 2026)

What a wonderful pre-publication review for The War Lantern from Kirkus, thank you! 

The reviewer notes that the book explores war from both sides of conflict. After the bombs fall, we realize that the three frightened teenagers, two in England and one in Germany, are all connected. That is one of the themes of the story; the trauma of war is unexpectedly far-reaching and universal.

Here's a little more of this terrific review:

"The story vividly captures the devastating impact of a single bombing, not only on those directly involved but also on the town and the next generation left shell-shocked in its wake. Dowding’s author’s note reveals that her own father survived the real-life bombing of Parnall’s at age 15, adding a personal layer of authenticity to her research."

I hope I captured the essence of my father's WWII bombing story; it's been a challenge and an honour to try and write it. Pre-order a copy from a local bookstore here.

You'll find the full Kirkus Review here.

The author's father, age 15, in 1941.

Starred Review for THE WAR LANTERN in School Library Journal

 

I'm incredibly honoured that THE WAR LANTERN has received a Starred Review in School Library Journal! Thank you to my amazing publisher, DCB and to the SLJ.

More from the SLJ Review: "As the novel progresses, the three storylines gradually intersect and overlap in deeply satisfying ways that may prompt rereads ... a well-rounded and immersive portrait of life during World War II."

THE WAR LANTERN is inspired by a bombing in England in 1941 that my father survived at age 15, while at work at a local aircraft factory, and research took me to England and to museums across Canada. This middle-grade book told over 24-hours is one of the most challenging and rewarding writing projects I've ever tackled; historical fiction for children is extremely demanding (and kudos to all who do it)! Thank you to everyone who has helped me on this 7-year journey, and thank you to my father for sharing his survival story with me one night in 1996.

I'll add more on writing, researching, and creating THE WAR LANTERN in this space soon.

For now you'll find ALL CURRENT POSTS ON THE WAR LANTERN here.

The Lancaster Bomber at Canadian
Warplane Heritage Museum, Hamilton, ON

Thank you to the Canada Council for the Arts for their generous Research and Creation grant, and to the Ontario Arts Council for their support of this project.

Introducing THE WAR LANTERN, historical fiction for middle grade readers ...

 

The War Lantern is coming October 2026 from my publisher, DCB Young Readers. Consider this amazing cover revealed!

Here's more about the book: 

"On February 27, 1941, bombs fall, families vanish, and the war lantern burns …

In England, fifteen-year-old schoolboy Marcus isn’t supposed to tell anyone about his work at Parnall’s Aircraft Factory, not even his mother, for fear of Hitler’s spies. 

In Germany, fourteen-year-old Gisele’s baby brother is about to be taken away by Nazi officials, who deem him “life not worthy of life.” 

Overhead, Tail End Charlie, an underage Royal Air Force rear gunner, flies for a German steel factory behind a squadron of bombers.

Each lead seemingly separate lives, struggling to survive amid World War II, until the roar of bombs — and the silence in the aftermath — connects them all.

Inspired by her family history, Governor General’s Literary Award–winning author Philippa Dowding delivers a carefully researched and powerfully moving wartime story for young readers about family, connections, and resilience."

The author's father,
England, 1941

PRE-ORDER! I'm delighted to also announce that Indigo, the national bookseller, has just selected The War Lantern as a Most Anticipated Book for Fall 2026 in the children's category! (You can pre-order your copy now, and pre-orders =  book 💕!)

I'm just delighted to have this book ready for the world; it's been a 7-year project but really a lifetime in the making. My thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts for their generous Research and Creation grant, as well the Ontario Arts Council for their support. Most of all, thanks to my wonderful publisher for making it happen and to my father for sharing his wartime survival story. 

In the coming months, I'll be posting about the journey of writing historical fiction for children, some of the most challenging writing I've ever done. I'm grateful for all the help I've had along the way.

The Love Song of Mr. Byrd is a TELLING TALES Reading List Selection for 2026!

 

The Telling Tales Festival has named THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD to their festival reading list for 2026! Thank you to them, I'm delighted to see Mr. Byrd and Bat in such great company with other Canadian books for young readers

From the Telling Tales Festival 2026 Selection Advisory committee:

"The Telling Tales Reading List is a digital archive of great Canadian children’s literature. It is a resource for parents, guardians, and educators. This curated list of books is used to program our events throughout the year, including the annual Festival."

Find The Love Song of Mr. Byrd here.

The Telling Tales Reading list for 2026. 

The Love Song of Mr. Byrd BOOK TAILER

Keep reading everyone, we are in deep, deep summer, the perfect time to meet your best friend on the branch at twilight. Or if you can't do that, then read a book about it!

THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD is a CCBC Best Book Spring 2026!

Hurray for Mr. Byrd! He and Bat are in great company with these wonderful books from publisher DCB Young Readers. ALL four books been named to the Canadian Children's Book Centre BEST OF BOOK list for  Spring 2026!

Thank you to DCB, to the CCBC, and congratulations to all authors and publishers named. Inclusion on this important BEST OF list will ensure that top quality Canadian books get into the hands of young readers, coast to coast. READ ON, everyone!

For the entire Spring 2026 CCBC Best Books

 

It's a SYRCA Shining Willow Award Nomination for The Love Song of Mr. Byrd!

 

The Love Song of Mr. Byrd has received a lovely nomination from the Saskatchewan Young Reader's Choice Willow Awards in the SHINING WILLOW category! THANK YOU and congratulations to all the nominees and their publishers!

The Willow Awards 2026 have three categories from pre-school to high school, with ten books in each category. Shining Willow books are for readers from early or pre-school age to grade 3. The schools and libraries in Saskatchewan will carry the nominated books so that young readers can enjoy them, then vote on their favourite books next spring, 2027. The winners are announced at a gala event and authors and young readers get to meet face to face, which is so fun.

The full list of WILLOW AWARD NOMINEES

I'm incredibly grateful to the Willow Awards for many reasons. They put Canadian books into the hands of young Canadian readers; they celebrate Canadian publishing; and they allow the readers themselves to vote on their favourite books. A win from your own readers feels pretty great!

The Willow Award was also the first nomination I ever received for my first book The Gargoyle in My Yard, in 2011. What a day that was, to find out that not only can I have my book published (which frankly seemed like a win), but then the book may be nominated for awards! Who knew? 

An award nomination is wonderful validation and recognition for an author and inspires us to keep writing. 

To be business-minded for a moment, awards like these also help publishers sell books and continue to publish great Canadian authors. Thank you to my wonderful publisher, DCB Young Readers for supporting this EARLY CHAPTER BOOK adventure! And note that DCB has THREE books on the Willow Award list this year, a mighty feat! Congrats to all!

All Posts About The Love Song of Mr. Byrd

Purchase a copy at a local bookstore

And finally, thank you and congratulations to artist Caroline Clarke, whose ten lovely illustrations are a big part of the book. I love them all (and the cover is amazing), but the illustration below of Bat and Mr. Byrd contemplating loss, is very, very sweet ...

LOSS © illustration by Caroline Clarke
From THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD, by Philippa Dowding

 

 

Where did the idea come from for The Love Song of Mr. Byrd?

 

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.

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.

ISBN  978-1-77086-808-3 | Paperback | Ages 6-9 | 96 pp | Oct. 25, 2025 | DRCs Available

To request Media Copies, author interview and/or other content, and more, please contact DCB Young Readers. 

All posts on this blog about THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD

Work in Progress Update and tour of a Lancaster Bomber

On November 25, 2023, I visited the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Port Hope, Ontario. As part of my Work In Progress (WIP), I went to research the WWII Lancaster Bomber there, and was given an incredible personal tour of the plane by the flight crew. Thank you to them for their time and expertise. It's an amazing museum near Hamilton, Ontario, largely run by volunteers. Go visit and support them. Lest we forget.

The research was for my middle-grade book about WWII, and my father's experience as a boy working at a Lancaster bomber aircraft factory in 1941. The Canada Council kindly gave me a Research and Creation grant for this book, and a Letter of Introduction about my research. I have such gratitude for this remarkable opportunity. The experts at the Warplane Heritage Museum were delighted to show me around, and I spent a long time talking with them about war, the aircraft, and the aircrew who flew them. It was a difficult day, to be honest. 

IMAGE: Bomber Command Memorial, Hyde Park Corner, London UK

The first Lancaster heavy bombers rolled off the British assembly lines in September, 1941. Over 50,000 RAF air crew died in the Lancaster bombers between 1941-1945, mostly over Europe, and the average age for air crew was 22 years. Younger than my son is now. 

The British bombed at night. 

As I sat in the cramped cabin of the Lancaster, I suddenly understood how dangerous, terrifying, and claustrophobic the night bomber's job was. I had nothing but sorrow for the bombed civilians, and the young men whose job it was to drop bombs from 20,000 feet onto European factories, bridges, and unseen enemies below. It was the first time bombs had been used to such a scale in war, and it was controversial. Experts are still undecided if the RAF bombing raids were successful in bringing a faster end to the war with Nazi Germany. 

UPDATE: THE WAR LANTERN, my middle-grade book is now finished, has a publisher and a PUBLICATION DATE of October, 2026. I tried to make the story focus on the sorrow of war while still allowing the characters to be children (17, 15, and 14 years old), who like dancing, music, and birthday cake. Through the connection between an English boy and a German girl on either side of the English Channel, and a young RAF rear gunner, my characters are still just teenagers, and they're more alike than they are different.

IMAGE: The Lancaster Bomber Rear Gunner Turret. Tiny, cramped, freezing, and deadly, the rear gunner in a Lancaster bomber had a low chance of survival on each bombing raid (as low as 50/50). Sitting in a bubble at the tail end of the huge aircraft, they were easily shot by Luftwaffe fighter planes, and were often killed.

It's been 81 years since the send of WWII, but sadly this story is more relevant than ever. I'll keep readers updated on the cover, the title, origin story and more once the manuscript goes back to the publisher. This has been the most difficult write of my life,

and I have to say that it's a relief to be finished the job of writing this book. It's hard to be constantly engrossed for 3+ years in war, war, war. Especially in the world as it is right now, endlessly at war it seems. Also, the layering of research, the horror of war, creating a workable narrative using family history, and one for younger readers (ages 10+), has tested all my skill to the max. SO MUCH respect for historical fiction writers, for any age of reader!

My newest book is out now, THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD, and it couldn't be more different from my war story. Check it out: a short, classically gentle story about love and friendship one summer, for ages 6-9, or a wonderful all-ages read-aloud.

For more posts about my WIP and research on the Lancaster Bomber.

 

You're on my foot! How two friends meet in the BOOK TRAILER for Mr. Byrd ...

Enjoy the BOOK TRAILER for THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD, my 15th book for children, and my first chapter book, for readers ages 6 to 9. The Love Song of Mr. Byrd is available wherever you purchase your favourite books!

The book trailer is made by me, and features the lovely book illustrations by Caroline Clarke. The music is by yours truly (me again) and Allister Thompson, friend, editor, musician, and author. I've made a book trailer for almost all my books, you'll find more of them on YouTube. 

A sweet story about friendship and love over one summer, I hope you enjoy Mr. Byrd's song, and sing your own song, too!

 

6 Questions About THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD with blogger Deborah Kalb

 

Thank you to Deborah Kalb for asking me to answer 6 fascinating questions about THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD on her U.S. book blog!

The 6 questions are: 

1.What inspired you to write THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD?

2. How would you describe the dynamic between Mr. Byrd and Bat? 3. BELOW 4. What do you think the book says about friendship? 5. What are you working on now? 6. Anything else we should know?

I hope you enjoy reading about process, inspiration, art, epigraphs, writing by hand, love and friendship in children's books, and more! The entire blog post is here, enjoy question 3 below:

"3. What do you think Caroline Clarke's illustrations add to the book?

Caroline did a beautiful job on the illustration for the book cover, and on the ten interior black-and-white illustrations, one for each chapter. Her skill and creativity bring such warmth and individuality to the characters. I love them all, but my favourite image (right now) is the mouse inviting us to consider the feather in the “Feathers” chapter. The feather looks so soft, it would make any home cozy and warm!

The art style is mostly realistic (that is, no frock coats like Peter Rabbit). But how to make a robin seem dejected like Mr. Byrd in “Friend?” Or how to make Bat seem delighted in “Fireflies?” Not an easy task with a bird or a bat, but Caroline has created both characters to be both realistic and endearing. Her final drawing of Mr. Byrd is glorious too; he looks ecstatic as he sings.

I love that each illustration sits opposite the first page of the accompanying chapter; their placement is inviting and sets the tone for what’s to come next. If I were a child reading the book or a grandparent or parent reading it aloud, I would linger a long time over each illustration before beginning the chapter. The illustrations invite us into the world of Bat and Mr. Byrd in their journey together from summer to autumn."

Thank you to Deborah Kalb, I really enjoyed answering her questions! 

READ THE WHOLE Q&A with DEBORAH KALB

See more of Caroline Clarke's beautiful illustrations in the YOUTUBE BOOK TRAILER

Find all posts on this blog about THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD here.

Please consider buying your books from a local bookseller. In Canada, try Bookmanager. Or Order here.

Young readers, intergenerational readers, here's a classic tale about friendship for everyone ...

 

Let's celebrate the friends we love!

This Valentine's Day, consider THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD as a short and sweet ballad
about friendship; a cozy gift for your youngest readers and your oldest, too! 

An Early Chapter Reader for Ages 6-9 (but really 6 to 99)

With 10 lovely illustrations by Caroline Clarke 

Sing your song, everyone!

Purchase The Love Song of Mr. Byrd

Order from a local bookstore

Direct from Publisher

5 Questions and Answers about The Love Song of Mr. Byrd

Whenever I have a new book published, I post 5 questions and answers here that I think my audience might find interesting (or questions I wish someone would ask me!). 

The Love Song of Mr. Byrd (DCB, 2025) is my latest book, my 15th, and is now out in the world. 

So please enjoy 5 questions about the book, answered:

1. What is The Love Song of Mr. Byrd about?

As the title suggests, the book is unapologetically about love and friendship, in this case between two unlikely creatures: a bat and a bird. 

Mr. Byrd is somewhat fussy and a little anxious, Bat is calm and wise, more worldly than Mr. Byrd. One magical summer night, Mr. Byrd accidentally steps on Bat's foot and the two agree to meet on the tree branch at twilight all summer long. The friendship surprises them as together they discover the beauty of rain and fireflies, the danger of cats, the meaning of joy, loss, fun, and much more. 

The Love Song of Mr. Byrd is about a gentle friendship that grows between creatures who at first seem very different, but as summer turns to fall, they realize their similarities far outweigh their differences, and they have become friends.

2. What made you write The Love Song of Mr. Byrd?

One summer night a few years ago, a bat and a robin flew over my head as I was walking down the street. They clicked and chirped and flew together, wingtip to wingtip, into a tree. I tried to find them, but they'd disappeared. I was fascinated. What were they up to? Were they friends or enemies? 

I did a little research and found that robins and bats aren't natural enemies, since one is diurnal and one nocturnal. They rarely overlapped in time and space, which just made their flight over my head together more fascinating!

That summer I had access to a sailboat in Toronto harbour. Once a week I'd visit the boat at twilight and write a little more about Bat and Mr. Byrd. I handwrote the first draft of the book in an 80-page notebook over 10 weeks, which is why there are 10 short chapters, and the word count is about 8,000 words! 

3. Are there books that inspired The Love Song of Mr. Byrd?

The story is pure creative impulse. I let the act of writing take over and at first didn't really think about who I was writing for or what kind of book this was, I was simply writing a sweet story about Mr. Byrd and his friend Bat. I was writing for everyone who has ever had a special summertime friendship or connection. I think we can all understand that feeling, whether we are children or grown up.

I wanted to be honest about friendship. To gently note that at first it can be a bit hard to make a friend, it can ask much of us to make room on the tree branch for each other, and no matter how tender, one day all friends must part, one way or another.

So in that way the book may feel a little like the friendship between Charlotte and Wilbur, or Pooh and Christopher Robin, or Ratty and Moley. The lovely sailboat, the twilight, the gentle lull of the waves, definitely made me nostalgic and that is reflected in the language and feel of the book.

4. Who would enjoy this story?

My wonderful publisher, DCB Young Readers, have published The Love Song of Mr. Byrd as an Early Reader Chapter book, a first for them and for me. 

I believe the story is wonderful for children of all ages, or as an independent reader for ages 6-9. It's also a lovely read-aloud for grandparents, parents, for anyone who has ever become a friend!

With a shorter word count, larger type size, and 10 short chapters with 10 accompanying illustrations each on a single theme, such as Rain, Friends, Feather, Dawn, Loss, Fireflies and more, the book reads like a gentle, thoughtful meditation on loss, love, friendship, and joy. We can all use a little more love and joy!

5. What else should readers know about The Love Song of Mr. Byrd?

The book is dedicated to my brother and sister. The epigraphs are for my father; he was a Shakespearean actor and his favourite book was The Wind in the Willows. The gorgeous cover and the 10 beautiful interior illustrations are the work of Newfoundland artist Caroline Clarke, who did an amazing job bringing Bat and Mr. Byrd to life. 

If you have questions you'd like me to answer, ask in the comments below!

All Posts about The Love Song of Mr. Byrd on this blog

Find The Love Song of Mr. Byrd at your local bookseller