Each Little Bird that Sings by Deborah Wiles

Published in 2005, Each Little Bird that Sings by Deborah Wiles was a National Book Award Finalist. I enjoyed her book Love, Ruby Lavender, and this one was even better.

I fluctuated between giving it four or five stars because I wanted it to be a series or go on longer. I wasn't ready for it to be over. I love the characters. I thought their names were a bit goofy, but they work. Comfort, the main character, is the middle child with an older brother and a younger sister. Her older brother is kind, helpful, and organized. Her little sister is adorable and calls her Fumfort.

Comfort and her family live in and run the town mortuary. She has been to many, many funerals. She writes life notices because they should celebrate the life of the person, not the death.

Comfort has an annoying younger cousin, Peach, and he is a pain. He cries too much, acts annoyingly, and she hates him. She has a dog named Dismay that is the perfect funeral home dog. He brings people peace when they are dismayed or sad. Her best friend, Declaration, is being rude to Comfort, and her rudeness causes a whole lot of trouble for Comfort and her family.

This book is about dealing with grief, relationships - both friends and family. Comfort provides several lists of how to act at a funeral, what to say to the bereaved and what not to say.

This book will make you cry, but it also has a hopeful message. The author has experienced the pain of death and it shows in this book - she got the grief part right.

NICU update: We were able to give 365 books to babies born too soon or born sick in 2015. That means we helped 73 babies gain the gift of literacy. Thanks to everyone who helped our project. I appreciate it more than you know. If you'd like to donate books, please click on This Link and scroll to the bottom of the page for ways to help.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.