#176 of 1001 · January 23, 2021

This is a story of loneliness, courage, and the universal drive for companionship: Shy by @freedmanillustrates. The protagonist of this book is named Shy. But just who or what is Shy? It’s difficult to say: true to his name, Shy does not like to come out in the open. He hides in the gutter—that is, the seam that runs down the center of a book’s two page spread—where he cannot be seen by the reader. Shy loves to pass the time reading about birds. When a real bird with bright yellow feathers comes along (and all too quickly flies away), he is finally spurred to leave the comfort of his hiding place. As he travels far and wide across vast, colorful landscapes in search of the beautiful creature, Shy finally begins to experience the simple wonders that were around him all along—and takes what could be the first tentative steps towards mastering his overwhelming shyness. Freedman’s writing gives off an empathic warmth, inviting readers to consider the very real emotional conflict between the weight of isolation and the shock of exposure. On repeated readings, sharp-eyed viewers scanning the soft gradients of her pencil-and-watercolor environments may notice Shy subtly included among a diverse cohort of animals well before the ending’s unambiguous reveal of his identity. #shy #bird #friends #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #classicchildrensbooks #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks