Pardon Me!

with audio recording

A little bird just wants some peace and quiet—but he’s about to get a whole lot more than he bargained for in this clever picture book debut, in the tradition of Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back.

It’s a beautiful, sunny day in the swamp when a little yellow bird settles down on a rock—only to be interrupted as first a heron, then a frog, then a turtle ask to sit on the rock with him. As each animal says “pardon me,” the little bird’s replies get grumpier:

“I suppose I can’t stop you.”
“It’s already crowded, don’t you think?”
“Sure, the entire swamp’s here already. Why shouldn’t you be, too?”

When a fox comes by, the bird finally loses his cool. But it just so happens that fox showed up for a reason, and the little bird’s outburst leads to a surprise ending you’ll want to read again and again.