A boy and his escaped caged bird form a rapport by playing tunes to each other.

Together they set off on a journey that takes them through the air over the rooftops, across apples trees, into a nest and above the clouds. But eventually the child gets tired and drifts back home alone.

The stylised charcoal and coloured pencil illustrations effectively convey the sensation of flying, and the final image of the empty cage makes the point that freedom always wins over captivity.

Lane Smith has an impressive track record. Among other accolades, he received a Caldecott Honor Award for his book Grandpa Green in 2012; a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Illustrators in 2014; and most recently the Kate Greenaway Medal for There Was a Tribe of Kids in 2017.