A sad little boy goes on about his sad little day. A bluebird flies into his life. Things start looking up. Joy follows them wherever they go. Suddenly, a dark turn down an unfamiliar path. Wait. How did I get here? Oh, I've said too much. Yep. Forget I said anything. Watch it, now!

Juror comments: I love the animation of this film. Its style is simple, straightforward, and imaginative.

The film is based on the picture book, Bluebird by Bob Staake. It follows a sad little boy going about his sad day until a bluebird flies into his life. Things look up until a darn turnaround happens.

Bluebird is a lovely story about a sad boy whose gray-colored life turns around when a beautiful bluebird flies into his life. They become inseparable and the sad boy becomes happy because the bluebird shows him an unusual amount of attention. Suddenly, the boy has a spark in his walk, a smile on his face and life is dandy and playful. The animation is two-dimensional and fascinating stylistically. The background music by R Scott Bryan is stunning, changing tone and tempo with each scene change. I could just gobble up this sweet soundtrack. Then, there is a huge conflict when bullies appear out of nowhere. They try to steal the boy’s toy boat; they throw sticks at him; most importantly, they hit the bird with a stick and it falls to the ground. Joy turns to despair until a flock of birds appears to rescue both the boy and the bluebird.

The message of this film is about adapting. You never know where joy might come from.

I give Bluebird 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Nancy K. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!