Sunny Finds His Song

By Cate Storey & Penny Watson, illustrated by Sarah Matsuda.

Reviewed by Tyrion Perkins

Sunny Finds His Song is the third picture book by Cate Storey and Sarah Matsuda. After covering nocturnal Australian animals in Snuggled Away https://storylinks.booklinks.org.au/2022/10/02/snuggled-away/ and the Greater Glider in The Perfect Hollow, they teamed up with Cate’s mother, ecologist Penny Watson, to tackle the plight of the Regent Honeyeater – a bird once numerous, now down to 300 in the wild.

Young Regent Honeyeater, Sunny, longs to find friends, sing a song, and eventually make his own nest, but he can’t find any birds like himself. He tries the songs of other birds, but they chase him on until he hears an “exquisite” song that brings him to birds with his own black and gold colours. One day a new bird appears, and he is able to sing her the Regent Honeyeater song.

I adore this book. Sarah Matsuda’s illustrations show the beauty of the Box Gum forests and their inhabitants. Bird emotions can be hard to convey in realistic paintings, yet Sunny’s loneliness is palpable, his love for Goldie is clear, and the fluffy chicks they raise are so cute! Despite the opening quotes describing dramatic population loss, the book ends on a note of hope.

Sunny Finds His Song works as a heart-felt picture book for young children; an interesting project resource for students; and a beautiful work of art for all ages. The six pages of scientific information covers topics like how Regent Honeyeaters are losing their song in the wild, so breeding programs are teaching the young birds the correct song before releasing. It also points out items you can find in the story like the band on Goldie’s leg. As a librarian I wouldn’t know whether to put it in picture books or non-fiction – perhaps one for each! For anyone who likes nature and animals.

Wet Season Books 2024 

Cate Storey 

Penny Watson 

Sarah Matsuda