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Free

Author Sam Usher
Illustrated by Sam Usher
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Hardcover
$16.99 US
8.9"W x 12.1"H x 0.44"D   | 18 oz | 20 per carton
On sale Apr 20, 2021 | 40 Pages | 9781536217049
Age 3-7 years | Preschool - 2
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The first in a new quartet of enchanting picture books where a boy and his beloved grandad discover the wonder of the natural world

When a boy and his grandad take care of a little bird, the boy wants to keep it, but Grandad knows it must return to its natural habitat in the wild, where it can spread its wings and be free. And so begins an exhilarating journey into the mountains to return the bird to where it belongs.
A child and grandfather help a fine feathered friend...Opening itself up to myriad conversations and interpretations, Free is fabulous.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A boy finds a sick bird on his windowsill and asks his grandfather for help. . . Children familiar with Usher’s Seasons with Grandad series, including Snow (2015), Rain (2017), and Storm (2018), will cheer the return of this adventuresome duo in a new quartet of nature-themed picture books, beginning with this volume. The main characters’ relationship grounds the story so firmly that even the magical flight seems believable. Expressive ink drawings, tinted with watercolors, illuminate the story. An imaginative picture book with broad appeal.
—Booklist
Sam Usher’s debut picture book, Can You See Sassoon, was short-listed for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. He is also the author-illustrator of Snow, Rain, Sun, and Storm, the first of which was long-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. He lives in England.

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About

The first in a new quartet of enchanting picture books where a boy and his beloved grandad discover the wonder of the natural world

When a boy and his grandad take care of a little bird, the boy wants to keep it, but Grandad knows it must return to its natural habitat in the wild, where it can spread its wings and be free. And so begins an exhilarating journey into the mountains to return the bird to where it belongs.

Praise

A child and grandfather help a fine feathered friend...Opening itself up to myriad conversations and interpretations, Free is fabulous.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A boy finds a sick bird on his windowsill and asks his grandfather for help. . . Children familiar with Usher’s Seasons with Grandad series, including Snow (2015), Rain (2017), and Storm (2018), will cheer the return of this adventuresome duo in a new quartet of nature-themed picture books, beginning with this volume. The main characters’ relationship grounds the story so firmly that even the magical flight seems believable. Expressive ink drawings, tinted with watercolors, illuminate the story. An imaginative picture book with broad appeal.
—Booklist

Author

Sam Usher’s debut picture book, Can You See Sassoon, was short-listed for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. He is also the author-illustrator of Snow, Rain, Sun, and Storm, the first of which was long-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. He lives in England.