The true story behind it
This is one of the earliest stories I wrote in the series. Babblers, those little chattering birds, are always in our backyard. They’re still there now, singing their morning song, and I think they were the first birds my son ever really noticed. In the story, Melody’s guitar breaks and she can’t sing her morning song, and the other animals miss it terribly. I found myself thinking how lonely the mornings would feel if those birds ever went quiet. Kitty and Dino help fix her guitar so the song comes back.
What happens in the story
One morning Kitty and Dino hear music that sounds sad and broken. They follow it to a tall oak and find Melody, a little babbler with a tiny guitar made of twigs and spider silk. Her strings have broken. Without them she can’t play the forest’s morning song, and all the animals miss it.
Fixing it takes a few tries. They search the ground and the trees for new strings and find nothing. Kitty’s wind only tangles the old ones worse. Then Dino has an idea and grows a brand-new plant with long silver stems. He calls them singing vines. Kitty sticks them on with tree sap, and Melody tunes each string herself.
The next morning the whole forest gathers for the song. And Melody says the guitar sounds even better than before.
Looking for a children’s book about birds?
If your kiddo loves birds, Melody is a sweet one to meet. Babblers are small, chatty birds, and in this book one of them is the forest’s morning musician.
The story also shows something kids run into all the time. The first fix doesn’t work, and the second one makes it worse. The book says it simply near the end: “Sometimes helping means trying new ways until you find what works.”
Look inside
Flip through the opening pages of the book.
Questions to ask after reading
A few questions for the minute after the book closes. There are no wrong answers.
- Kitty’s wind made the strings more tangled. Has something you tried ever made a mess worse before it got better?
- Dino grew singing vines. If you could grow a magic plant, what would it do?
- Melody played with shaky wings. Why do you think she felt that way?
Perfect for
- ✓ Kids who love birds, songs and morning sounds
- ✓ Showing that it’s okay when the first fix doesn’t work
- ✓ A gentle, musical bedtime story
- ✓ Talking about helping a friend
Quick answers
Bring the morning song back tonight
One short story. One little bird worth helping. Ready for tonight.
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