Jamaica · Riva's yard and garden, Jamaica
The heroes of this story.
"I'm smaller," she says. "I'll look closer." Follows the bird's flight pattern and dances it back with her arms.
Sews — in, out, in, out — until her silver thimble flies off. Knows the God bird was the old people's sign of freedom.
A green jewel with tail streamers long as ribbons. Draws hover-dart loops in the air — a pattern like writing nobody taught Riva to read, except she can. Never speaks.
Lights its tiny lamp at dusk; a dotted line of light home. Name TBD: Peenie Wallie vs. Blinkie.
When Grandmother's silver thimble flies off in Riva's yard, Riva searches under the hibiscus, behind the rain barrel, and in the chicken corner — and finds nothing. Then the Doctor Bird draws loops in the air — hover, dart, hover — and Riva learns to read them, following the pattern to the old mango tree, where the thimble glints in a fork. At dusk the fireflies light her way home, blink by blink.
Free coloring pages from this book · how-to-draw the friends · watch the episode on YouTube.
