In a cozy room in northern Germany, a yellow canary sings rolling melodies to the miners and carpenters of the Harz mountains. But today a bird dealer has come, and he will take the canary far, far aw
In a cozy room in northern Germany, a yellow canary sings rolling melodies to the miners and carpenters of the Harz mountains. But today a bird dealer has come, and he will take the canary far, far away from everything he knows. The journey leads onto trains and steamships, across Europe and even the Atlantic. At last the canary arrives in a room in New York where he hears a strangely familiar song…
This beautiful, poignant book introduces readers to the little-known history of a beloved songbird. Lushly illustrated in rich colors, 189 Canaries is an unforgettable story about music, migration, and the search for home.
Publishers Weekly
“Older children partial to illustrated animal-centered fiction will find much to appreciate.”
Kirkus Reviews
“A quiet story that savors the historical details of a bird’s trans-Atlantic journey.”
School Library Journal
“A delightful story of a little-known piece of history, with the added bonus of a fun math connection for students studying multiplication.”
The Horn Book Magazine
“The storytelling style uses the present tense to pull the reader directly into a faraway time and place. Böge’s narration is full of sensory details . . . that are particularly appropriate for a story about a bird prized for its voice. Klever’s mixed-media illustrations, with a muted color palette, have the flat perspective of folk art.”
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Dieter Böge is a children's book author, painter, and translator. His books have been nominated for the German Youth Literature Award and selected for the International Youth Library's White Ravens catalog.
189 Canaries began when Dieter discovered a photo of 189 canvas-covered birdcages on a wooden rack, which made him curious about their story. Dieter lives in Germany.
189 Canaries is his English-language debut.
Elsa Klever is a German illustrator and fine artist whose books include
Taxi Ride with Victor (Prestel Junior). She was the winner of the 2015 Austrian Children's Book Award and has been shortlisted twice for the World Illustration Awards. Visit her website at
elsaklever.de or follow her on Instagram @elsaklever.
Laura Watkinson translates books for children and adults from German, Italian, and Dutch. Her translations have received numerous honors, including three Mildred L. Batchelder Awards and the Vondel Translation Prize. She is the founder of the Dutch chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SBCWI). Laura lives in the Netherlands. Visit her website at
laurawatkinson.com.
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