Stead's splashy, colorful pictures are warm, funny, appealing and drawn with a light touch. Skunk and Porcupine are portrayed with soft, blurry edges that add to their charm…Taken together, text and image convey the message that each of us has one true home and nothing else will do.
—The New York Times Book Review

Stead (Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat) imagines what happens when Vernon, a sweetheart of a toad, takes an interest in a silent, unmoving blue bird with an oversize beak, button eyes, and striped peg legs. “Bird is shy,” Vernon explains to Skunk and Porcupine, “but also a very good listener.” Small panel illustrations of Vernon attempting to amuse Bird, who lies blank and staring wherever Vernon sets him down, draw immediate smiles. Determined to find Bird’s home, Vernon takes Bird down the river in a teacup. Vernon’s ideas about possible living places for Bird—a mailbox, a nest filled with eggs, a telephone wire—are misses, but Bird’s home finally turns up in a place both unexpected and perfectly natural. Stead creates characters that make readers care; Vernon’s compassion and faith have near-spiritual dimensions. And the scribbled artwork brims with small delights, like the attentive expressions of Skunk and Porcupine, draped with string—they’ve quietly appropriated Vernon’s yo-yo. But it’s the way Vernon consistently sees only the best in Bird that makes this story a keeper. Ages 3–8. Agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (June)

Stead has crafted an old-fashioned story that speaks directly to the heart...” —Horn Book Magazine, starred

“The richly colored drawings are the perfect companions to this classic story of kindhearted friendship and belonging and will be a welcome addition to any collection or storytime.” —School Library Journal

“Stead creates characters that make readers care; Vernon's compassion and faith have near-spiritual dimensions. And the scribbled artwork brims with small delights…” —Publishers Weekly, starred

“A deeply satisfying story that speaks to the universal desires to be nurtured and to find a home.” —Kirkus, starred

“This sensitively told story is a wonderful ode to friendship, selflessness, and the joys of home. Everyone should be so lucky to know a Vernon.” —Booklist, starred review

PreS-Gr 2—Vernon the toad is out collecting interesting odds and ends when he stumbles upon a displaced cuckoo clock bird that he thinks is real. Certain Bird is lost, Vernon invites his new friend to join him as he goes about his day. Vernon and his friends become increasingly perplexed by Bird's silence and decide that he must be very unhappy and missing his home. Sweet, loyal Vernon decides he will help Bird find his home, and the two embark on a journey that takes them by land, air, and sea amidst bird's continued silence and Vernon's increasing determination. Eventually, Vernon and Bird find a farmhouse and take shelter in the cuckoo clock on the wall. The next morning, Vernon is ecstatic to see that Bird is finally happy and has most found his perfect home as he bursts from the clock with a lively "Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!" Stead, a Caldecott-winning author/illustrator, has created a warm, witty, old-fashioned tale of friendship that underscores the value of determination and thoughtfulness and the importance of home. His colorful, whimsical crayon-and-gauche illustrations capture the story's innocence and Vernon's child-like qualities. Andrew Watts's soothing voice, conversational tone, steady pace, and impeccable enunciation make this an easy read-along for beginning readers or younger children learning to enjoy the simple pleasure of a well-read story. Page-turn signals are optional.—Amy Dreger, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Beachwood, OH

PreS-Gr 1—In this touching story of an unlikely, but fulfilling companionship, Vernon the toad searches high and low for his shy and seemingly lost new friend, Bird. Right from the beginning, Stead's emotional and detailed mixed-media illustrations inform readers what Vernon does not know-that Bird fell out of a cuckoo clock off a pickup truck before being found by Vernon while scavenging for useful odds and ends. Assuming that Bird is quiet because he's missing home, Vernon travels with him to search for his house. They find many different places that could make good homes for Bird-an old bird cage, a birdhouse, a nest, even a mailbox-but Bird remains quiet, making Vernon sad. A determined friend, Vernon continues searching until they find a pickup truck full of interesting things and a small blue house perfect for Bird, making him "cuckoo" with joy. The richly colored drawings are the perfect companions to this classic story of kindhearted friendship and belonging and will be a welcome addition to any collection or storytime.—Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY

When toad Vernon comes upon a silent bird who appears shy and lost, he embarks on a journey to help Bird find his home. When a stranger points them to a little house, the weary travelers settle in for the night. Is the ticktocking abode Bird’s home? Andrew Watts is as earnest in his narration as Vernon is in his empathy for Bird. Watts’s warm, rich voice is reassuring to young listeners who may be anxious for the traveling animals, and his understated delivery makes the story’s ending all the more joyful. Poring over Stead’s illustrations, which look like colorful scribbles, will enrich the listening experience. A.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Vernon is both a toad and a forager for found objects. Ambling along with his latest haul, he chances upon a creature he seeks to know and then to help. Observant children will have noticed (next to the copyright information) the overloaded "Careful Moving Co." pickup truck barreling down the road, where a bump releases a cuckoo from its clock spring. On re-readings, additional story elements will be discovered in the truck. Vernon observes that "Bird is shy…but also a very good listener," when he introduces Bird to his friends. He and his pals conclude that Bird is lost and unhappy, so the thoughtful, resourceful amphibian readies a teacup boat for the journey to help this quiet stranger return home. They check out a birdcage, birdhouse, mailbox, nest and telephone wires--to no avail, but "Vernon was a determined friend." After the weary pair seeks refuge inside a familiar farmhouse clock, Vernon wakes to a cheery "Cuckoo!" and all is well. Stead's loose gouache strokes and crayon scribbles create a disheveled world just right for suggesting a junk-collector's paradise. Wide lines mix with thin curves, and wet and dry strokes commingle for a dappled, breezy setting; blue and green canopies often frame the page borders. Stead's sensitive telling and white background create space for contemplation. A deeply satisfying story that speaks to the universal desires to be nurtured and to find a home. (Picture book. 3-8)