Over the Red-Brick Chimney

Reviews / Votes

The story moves through the seasons beautifully, and the soundscape changes to match, from the noise of the storm, through the quiet of the barn, the cheery racket of Finn's games, back to the quiet as he sits by the fire watching the geese through the window. For all the drama, the huge distances the geese cover (laid out on a map on the endpapers), this is a story full of comfort and reassurance, that friendships survive even over distance, that goodbyes become hellos. The illustrations catch the mood and characters very well and the text is particularly pleasing to read -- Books for Keeps' Book of the Week A simple, rhyming text is paired with lovely, sensitive illustrations that hold the reader captive to this beautiful story of migration. It is a celebration of the wonders of nature, a reminder of the difference kindness can make and a heartwarming, adventurous tale of finding your way back home again, with a bit of learning when to let go thrown in. Full of weather, friendship, curiosity and love ... a must read, must share, must keep close and read year after year. Thank you so much to The O'Brien Press for gifting me with this wonderful, wonderful picture book. It is a treasure! -- Fallen Star Stories This heartwarming picturebook following Little Goose's migratory adventure is a linguistic and visual delight for the young reader ... rich warm inviting tones ... Playful onomatopoeic language makes Little Goose's excitement about her first migration tangible. Delicious words such as 'fluppety flup' immerse the reader in a sensory experience of her journey. Beautifully illustrated from Little Goose's bird's eye perspective, the images offer a vivid sense of what it is like to fly over mountains, cities and forests, evoking novelty and adventure. Little Goose's story explores relatable anxieties for the child reader. It addresses the panic of separation from loved ones and the sadness attached to saying goodbye. While the story effectively conveys the pain of separation, it also offers reassurance and hope in its depiction of the cyclical nature of life -- Childrensbooksireland.ie playful onomatopoeic language makes Little Goose's excitement about her first migration tangible ... beautifully illustrated from a bird's eye perspective, the images offer a vivid sense of what is like to fly ... a linguistic and visual delight for the young reader -- Children's Books Ireland's Annual Reading Guide 2024 a great time to read Over the Red Brick Chimney to your little ones ... will open children's eyes to the wonders of nature -- Irish Examiner The migration of geese to Ireland is animated in this charming new picture book. When "Little Goose" gets lost in a storm, Finn and his mum, who live in the house with the redbrick Chimney, must help her. Featuring onomatopoeic language and magical wintry illustrations -- Irish Times' Christmas Magazine stunning new picture book -- Connaught Telegraph Shannon Bergin's illustrations conjure the icy depths of winter and the contrasting warmth of the friendship between boy and bird -- The Holly Bough shortlisted for Children's Book of the Year (Junior) 2024 at the Irish Book Awards - and it's not hard to see why -- Irish Farmers Journal's Gift Guide Shannon Bergin's illustrations perfectly capture the wonder of the natural world and the cosiness of home -- Sunday Times Ireland Una Leavy's stirring winter-set picture book Over the Red-Brick Chimney ... Told from the perspective of Little Goose, this is a sweet story of child-animal connection, with wide aerial images and detailed domestic illustrations from Shannon Bergin. It offers a gentle education to migratory patterns too -- Irish Times Una Leavy is an auto-buy author for me, she has written so many children's poems and stories over the years, one more gorgeous than the other ... such a comfort read, beautifully illustrated by Shannon Bergin, it teaches about caring and loving and learning to let go -- Una ag Scriobh