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. The book was featured that year at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair as part of the Silent Book Contest exhibition and later premiered at the Turin International Book Fair (Salone Internazionale del Libro di Torino), where it was also showcased in the dedicated Silent Book Contest space.
Since its publication, Il Pettirosso has received further recognition in Italy. In 2026, it was awarded the Junior Silent Book Award, becoming the first title to be chosen by both the international jury and the children’s jury of the competition. It also won the Premio La Magna Capitana in the 6–8 years category, a prize voted on by thousands of young readers, and was selected among the three finalists of the 45th Premio Andersen in the category Miglior Libro Senza Parole (Best Wordless Book), one of the most respected distinctions in Italian children’s publishing.
At its heart, however, Il Pettirosso remains what it has always been: a quiet story about loss, care, and the unexpected ways life can return to us when we open our hearts to another living being.
