Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Lana is a writer and she wants to work undisturbed on her new novel. The only problem is that Lana is suffering from a bad case of writer’s block. She can’t think of what to write. A knock on the door interrupts Lana’s inability to write. Answering, she discovers the mailman with two boxes, one with holes in it. What she finds inside is a surprise from her aunt; a parrot by the name of Darwin. Not only does Darwin wear special reading glasses, but Darwin can also read and, as the story continues, we find out that he can tell a pretty good story, too. So Darwin and Lana team up to write a great story about Darwin the reading parrot. The result is a very popular book that takes Lana and Darwin into classrooms to share their story and hopefully, in the process, encourage young people to read and to write.

Author Mary Sage Nguyen, who has always wanted to be an author with a parrot, is now an author like Lana, inspired by a parrot, though this one is in her imagination. The Reading Parrot Named Darwin is a sweet picture book story that will give young readers a few chuckles and inspire them not only to read, but also to write their own stories. As Lana and Darwin bond in friendship and creativity, the two teach each other the strength of working together as a team. They also help each other realize their dreams and goals and to really believe in themselves – important concepts for young readers.