Many people write stories. But some writers create stories that feel like a warm hug after a really cold spell.
The author Danna Southwell is one of those writers. The woman behind the charming book Bertha the Ordinary Chicken, you won’t be surprised to learn that she has a large family and has taught piano for many years.
But her story about a little chick shows she also understands the heart.
Who is Danna Southwell?
Danna Southwell lives in California and has been married for over fifty years. She has six children and fifteen grandchildren.
For forty-four years, she ran her own piano studio, filling herself with love as she watched her students learn music, finding inspiration and becoming enamored with music.
She also likes quilting, gardening, and yes, raising chickens.
Her life is a life full of family, teaching, and creativity.
This rich life gives her stories a feeling of truth and kindness.
Danna Southwell is not just a writer of books. She is a brilliant artist who spins wonderful narratives spun from her own experiences. She knows what it is like to care for something, about patience from teaching piano, about growth from gardening, and about the funny, unique personalities of chickens from raising them.
All of this comes together in her story, Bertha the Ordinary Chicken.
Photo by wirestock
Why Her Story Connects with Readers
Danna Southwell writes for everyone. Her words are easy to read, and her sentences are clear. She does not use big, hard words, especially because she writes for children. However, the message she wants to impart is for all ages.
Everyone has felt like Bertha at some point in their lives, feeling ordinary or left out.
Danna Southwell tells us it is okay: our differences are not curses because they are gifts waiting for the right moment to shine.
The story also feels real because Danna Southwell knows chickens with perfected details, right down to how the chicks go about pecking for food, to the way they strut, and how they fall into a deep sleep at night.
These details come from an author who has watched real chickens, making the story more believable and warm.
A Very Creative Acquaintance
A good children’s book needs a good artist.
Melanie Burkefills that role in Bertha the Ordinary Chicken. Her pictures are soft and friendly, delicately and vividly showing the chickens’ emotions. We see George’s proud chest, Charlotte fluffing her feathers, and Bertha looking thoughtful.
The pictures help tell the story without words, making the book not only wonderfully paced but also oh so beautiful to look at.
Melanie Burke is also a musician and teacher. That’s why she and Danna Southwell make for a very great team.
Both are teachers.
Both love art.
Together, they created a book that is a joy to read and to look at.
The Heart of a Storyteller
What makes Danna Southwell a special author? Her heart. Having spent her life teaching children piano and raising children herself, she knows how to encourage and is deeply aware of its importance.
She also knows how to help someone find their talent, and she uses this same kindness in her writing. She never makes fun of Bertha and, instead, lets us see the world through her eyes, so we feel her sadness and her joy.
We cheer for her when she saves the day.
Danna Southwell also understands these simple but incredibly important truths:
- Being kind is necessary.
- Family is important.
- Being yourself is the most important.
And she wraps all these truths in a story about chickens. Isn’t that wonderful?
A Story for Families to Share
Bertha the Ordinary Chicken is a perfect book for families. Parents can read it to young children, while older children can read it themselves.
The chapters are short, and the words are easy.
The story keeps you wondering what will happen to Bertha without giving you the anxiety of utmost uncertainty.
It’s just a book you can read again and again and again.
The book also helps parents talk about feelings with their children. Parents can ask children if they’ve ever felt like Bertha and, from there, they can discuss what it’s like being different, what it means to be brave, and what using their own special voice can do.
Danna Southwell gives families a tool for these crucial talks.
When you read about Bertha, you can almost hear her loud cackle. You can see her speckled feathers. Danna Southwell uses the simplicity of her words to paint clear and crisp pictures.
For example, “Bertha’s favorite thing to do was to dig a small hole in the dirt, dust off her small feathers, and just think.”
This one sentence tells us so much about Bertha’s quiet, thoughtful personality.
This skill comes from Danna Southwell’s experiences as a piano teacher, having to hone her skills on how to break things down into simple steps; and as a storyteller, she knows how to break big feelings into simple scenes.
This makes her book easy to follow and hard to forget.
Photo by freepik
The Lasting Message of Bertha
The message of Bertha the Ordinary Chicken does not end when the book closes. It stays with you, reminding you always that everyone has a place.
Everyone has a purpose.
Sometimes you just have to be patient to find it.
Sometimes it appears in a moment of danger.
But your differences are what make you, you.
The story of Bertha is a gift of kindness from Danna Southwell. It’s a story that will make you smile, make you think, and make you feel good about being yourself.
If you or someone you know loves a good story, this book is a treasure that you need to go and get.
Perfect for children, grandparents, and everyone in between, it is a story about chickens, but really, it is a story about all of us.
Ready to meet Bertha and see how her ordinary becomes extraordinary? Buy your copy of Bertha the Ordinary Chicken!
