Each Little Bird That Sings

From the Publisher

"A memorable tribute to the joys of living."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Wiles has a gift for bringing readers into the hearts and minds of her main characters . . . As she faces the changes that life throws her way, Comfort grabs onto the reader’s heart and refuses to let it go."—BookPage

Publishers Weekly

Ten-year-old Comfort describes life in her family's funeral home. According to PW, as with her Love, Ruby Lavender, "Wiles mixes in letters, news reports and recipes, making a difficult topic go down like lemonade at a picnic." Ages 8-12. (Aug.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

Ten-year-old Comfort Snowberger knows death well. She should; she's grown up in a family that runs the town funeral home and she's attended 247 funerals. She's quite the expert and she loves to share this information. In her cozy closet writing-thinking space she fills notebooks with everything from recipes to "Top Ten Tips for First-rate Funeral Behavior." She's continually convincing the local town paper that they ought to run her "life notices" rather than their typical obits. She understands the passing of her elderly Great-uncle Edisto and can accept the death of her Great-great-aunt Florentine. But she can't deal with the bizarre grieving patterns of her cousin Peach; nor can she handle the sudden changes of her best friend, Declaration, who's grown up too quickly and seems to have forgotten all they have shared. Suddenly the sureness Comfort has always known seems to fade as all the familiar supports are yanked away: dog missing, best friend turned cruel, annoying cousin clinging, almost drowning in a flood. Comfort falters, but readers know that somehow the buoyant Comfort will rise again. She can't fail to with her sunny disposition, attentive, caring family, and history of accepting the changes life presents. Wiles' writing is sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, and she has created a quirky warm family and a young aptly-named protagonist who will reassure readers who face hard life transitions. 2005, Harcourt, Ages 9 to 11.
—Susie Wilde

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Ten-year-old Comfort Snowberger lives in a house with her extended family, including great aunts and uncles. As a resident of this special house-a funeral home in a small town in Mississippi-Comfort has learned to embrace life. This novel by Deborah Wiles (Gulliver Books, 2005) takes listeners to the funeral of Great Aunt Florentine, from the moment she is discovered in her garden, through the arrival of Comfort's friend Declaration and her cousin Peach. We become a guest as Mother arranges the flowers for the house and Father prepares Aunt Florentine's body for viewing. Comfort is comfortable with death and accepts it as a natural part of living. However, the young girl soon must face situations that test her previous assumptions as well as her friendships. Kim Mai Guest brings a true southern lilt to the voice of Comfort, while creating distinct voices for Great Aunt Florentine, Great Uncle Edisto, Declaration Johnson, and a myriad of other characters. This heartfelt, sometimes humorous story is a delight.-Joyce Rice, Crestwood Middle School, Royal Palm Beach, FL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Comfort Snowberger has attended 247 funerals, not because she's morose but because the Snowberger Funeral Home in Snapfinger, Mississippi, is where she lives with her family. In fact, the dead center of the story, so to speak, is the funeral home. When Uncle Edisto dies and then 90-year-old, great-great-Aunt Florentine, Comfort learns that "it's not how you die that makes the important impression, it's how you live." A difficult belief to accept when tragedy strikes Comfort, her dog, Dismay, and her eight-year-old sniveling cousin, Peach, all caught in a flash flood on the way to Florentine's graveside service. As Comfort clutches Peach to keep him from going under, Dismay is swept away. Despite the setting and plot, the story is not morbid but is an original celebration of life. Unique characters, inventive names (Comfort's best friend Declaration, who betrays their friendship), a fresh voice and an honest portrayal of life and death are a match made in heaven-and despite the bland title, a memorable tribute to the joys of living. (Fiction. 8-12)