I Really Want to Be First!: A Really Bird Story
Meet Really Bird, a small bird who lives in a large city park with his friends Cat, Pup, Mouse, and Rabbit. In each story, Really Bird finds himself really wanting something - to be bigger, to have his fair share, or to be the leader - to be really silly, funny, strong, cool, happy, or brave. And when he feels something, he really feels it.
Each story is an entertaining, character-driven caper based on relatable social/emotional themes, delivered with surprise twists, high drama, and expert comic timing. Along the way, lessons are learned about qualities such as teamwork and compassion. The emphasis is on character growth and development through creative problem-solving. Friendship and emotional engagement are at the heart of every story.
In I Really Want to Be First!, Really Bird is usually in line behind his two best friends, Cat and Pup. He wants to be first for a change, so he thinks up a scheme to become the leader of the group. Along the way, Really Bird discovers that being the leader involves more than being first.
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HARRIET ZIEFERT is a former elementary school teacher from North Bergen, New Jersey. A graduate of Smith College, she also holds an MA in Education from NYU. She is the bestselling author of more than 250 children's books and has developed easy-to-read series for several major publishing houses. As founder of Blue Apple Books, she has published over 500 titles, many of which have become best-selling modern classics. Harriet Ziefert continues to create and publish books from her home, where she now lives, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
Travis Foster, a graduate of the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, has been illustrating for more than 25 years. Kirkus Reviews praised his work in What's New at the Zoo? as "ingenious illustrations [that] feature antic cartoonish animals in an explosion of colors ...." His editorial and advertising clients include Target, Disney, Forbes, Internet Week, Aetna, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Foster lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and four children.
"This story shows how Really Bird and his friends handle conflict and use problem-solving to resolve their issue in a positive and fair manner. The text and illustrations align beautifully to showcase the animated interaction of the friends. Great for any children's collection." -- School Library Journal
"Really's yearning to be first should resonate . . . and Foster's stripped-down but emotionally operatic cartooning tempers with just the right amount of goofiness." - Publishers Weekly of I Really Want to Be First!
"This funny, upbeat series opener [featuring] funny, comically exaggerated illustrations. . . . most of the art features brightly colored characters against an uncluttered background, with color-coded speech bubbles of just a few words. A chipper reminder that being a leader is about more than being first-it requires consideration and creative problem-solving." - Kirkus Reviews
"Fans of Elephant and Piggie will REALLY love Ziefert's and Foster's new early comic series. Appearing in speech bubbles, Ziefert's lively text is all dialogue making the story easy for kids to access. Foster's bright and energetic illustrations fill the pages and will captivate kids. As a reading specialist, I love that the stores teach and reinforce positive virtues such as friendship, teamwork, sharing, and kindness." -Beagles and Books
"Perfect for classroom or daycare reading and learning." -Sincerely Stacie
"This series is so well done! The author uses Really Bird and his friends to show real conflicts children have on a day to day basis and how this group of pals works through these situations. Both books present so many wonderful character traits like: compassion, kindness, teamwork etc. As a school counselor, I love the emphasis on being fair and working together towards a solution that will benefit all. I also really value the discussion topics and questions in the back-matter that that can help parents navigate conversations with their children!" - BooksGrowMinds
