The Bird is a silent picture book about an old man who deeply misses his late wife. One winter day, while visiting her grave, he finds a frozen bird — barely alive — and brings it home. As he cares for the fragile creature, something in him begins to shift. Grief still lingers, but through this quiet act of care, he begins to reconnect — slowly, gently, and without words.
Created especially for the Silent Book Contest – Gianni De Conno Award, The Bird took shape over nearly two years of thoughtful work: shaping its rhythm, refining its tone, and letting the story unfold visually and with honesty.
In 2025, The Bird (Il Pettirosso, in Italian) won the Silent Book Contest – Gianni De Conno Award and was published by Carthusia Edizioni.
It was featured that year at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair as part of the Silent Book Contest exhibition, and later premiered at the 2025 Turin International Book Fair (Salone Internazionale del Libro di Torino), where it was also showcased in the dedicated Silent Book Contest space — a collaborative exhibition presented by Carthusia Edizioni and the Turin fair.
In July, Il Pettirosso was also formally presented as the winner of the Silent Book Contest at the 21st Book Festival in Montereggio (Il Paese dei Librai) — a historic literary celebration held in Italy’s famed “Village of Books.
