Each Little Bird that Sings

Each Little Bird that Sings, by Deborah Wiles (2005)

Comfort Snowberger knows far more about death than the average 10 year old. Her family owns and operates the lone funeral home in rural Snapfinger, Mississippi and she has attended nearly 250 funerals.

The funeral home’s motto is “We live to serve,” and it is a dictum that the Snowberger clan take to heart. As her father prepares the departed for burial, Comfort’s mother handles floral arrangements and her elder brother tends the lawns. Even the family dog, Dismay, does his part by staying with the deceased in the preparation room and by standing stoically for visitations.

The author writes in her introduction about the inspiration for the book. In the four years that followed the publication of her last book she lost several family members. It was a situation that left her “suffocating in grief,” but through it all she learned “the meaning of friendship and the power of love.”

Wiles has written a tender, yet often funny book that deals with several coming-of-age issues. Death is an obvious theme, but the story also addresses the struggle of dealing with agitated family members in times of stress, as well as the strain on friendships as young people mature.

Highly recommended for ages 8 to 12, this book will appeal to young people with its strong story line and folksy, small-town humor. Adults will want their children to read a well-written book that confronts some of the struggles their children will face as they approach their teenage years.