Maria van Lieshout's "Song of a Blackbird" teachers' review

Brief description and distinctive features

With All the Light You Cannot See moving from the HSC Prescriptions list you might want to consider moving it to Stage 5 - I acknowledge it is a big book but the short chapters propel the story and it could work well with Song of a Blackbird.

A wide reading quest could also include The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Diary of Anne Frank, Sea Prayer and Armin Greder’s compelling books. Or you could include Song of a Blackbird in a wider unit which focuses on the graphic novel as a form. Check out our blogs on Long Way Down and Oxygen Mask. Texts like Maus and Persepolis would be valuable in such a unit. 

Allen and Unwin have a Teachers Resource on Song of a Blackbird available.

Brief description of Song of a Blackbird

Song of a Blackbird is a story of fiction, but it has a basis of real events. It combines two storylines and two contexts: one is set in 1943 Amsterdam and Emma Bergsma’s world witnesses Jewish families being forcibly deported to concentration camps. Emma is horrified and decides to join the Dutch Resistance. She is drawn into the fascinating and clandestine world of assisting the Resistance with counterfeit documents. 

The other story is also set in Amsterdam but 2011 and Annick is desperately looking for a bone marrow donor for her grandmother. In the search it is revealed that her grandmother was secretly adopted as a child. Black and white prints hanging on the wall become the only clues to finding the lost family. 

The dedication has a poignant resonance with current world events: 

Dedicated to all children who suffer as a consequence of war and propaganda.

On p.25 this idea is further amplified:

The best defence against propaganda is CRITICAL THINKING. When we stop thinking, and QUESTIONING, we contribute to the lie.

What a wonderful justification for the role of our subject and your role in the classroom: critical thinking. 

Maria van Lieshout was born and lived near Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Maria often spent many weekends in what is known as the Museum Quarter row house. In such a house Maria’s grandparents lived with her aunt who was an artist and her uncle, a metalsmith. It was common for Maria to draw while her aunt painted.  Maria would write stories on the family’s typewriter. Eventually Maria travelled to the USA where she studied Visual Communications at George Washington University in Washington DC, and worked in design and innovation at Coca-Cola. In 2000, Maria became an illustrator full-time and since then she has illustrated and written several picture books. 

Distinctive features of Song of a Blackbird

• Published in January 2025 this is a contemporary text.
• The front and back covers include an illustrated map of Amsterdam in 1943 and today with annotations of locations. 
• The style resembles both a comic and a graphic novel.
• The images are mainly in black and white with touches of orange and red. The black and white evokes the etchings and prints common in Amsterdam even today. 
• The story opens in Amsterdam September 2011 
• There are two narrators: the blackbird whose narrative is in white print on black dialogue bubbles and the main narrative is told through conventional dialogue in speech bubbles like a comic. 
• The presence and role of the blackbird is powerful and compelling. The blackbird is an omniscient observer and its opening words are significant: I’m often called on when HARDSHIP is having its way with someone. 
• In various cultures specific birds and animals have a significant symbolic function: for example crows are important in First Nations cultures. In this text the blackbird has a more personal significance. After the dedication there is an explanation by the author about the blackbird that in the “hunger winter of 1944-45” her mother was five and she heard the beautiful song of the blackbird. Her grandmother explained that while the blackbird was aware it was wartime -
          … I believe it sings so beautifully
          not in spite of it,
          but because of it.’ 
• The opening narrative by the blackbird addresses the reader and the role of the blackbird is highlighted to symbolise the power of song and art to enable humanity to “surrender to marvel and wonderment.” The blackbird’s narrative is represented by a black background with white writing.
• Each part is signified by the blackbird inside a black box with the opening capital letter of the first sentence.
• Black and white photographs of real buildings in Amsterdam bring a striking reality to the story.
• An extensive section of information and background at the back of the book from p. 230 explains important information.
• A tribute can be found on p.250-251 to the numerous people and organisations who inspired the writer with stories and details
• Two pages list the source of the photographs used in the text and there is a bibliography for further reading.
  

Ways to use Song of a Blackbird in the classroom

Encourage students to flick through Song of a Blackbird: what do they notice about the specific features of this text? 
List them so that you can return more deeply to these features. 

Providing context for Song of a Blackbird is important to enrich students’ understanding and appreciation of this powerful story and its clever representation.

A few ideas

1. Enthuse students with the backstory to this wonderful text: on p.246 the author provides information about her family and their activities which have partly shaped and influenced her story in Song of a Blackbird. 
2. A chronology of World War 2 German victories and occupation would be useful. During WW2 Germany defeated and occupied numerous countries in Europe including Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and others. The Netherlands was occupied by Germany from 10th May 1940 until 20 May 1945.
3. View a map of German-occupied Europe and the extent of German power, control and domination of these countries including the forced use of slave labour, the terror of the concentration camps and the persecution and incarceration of peoples including Jewish groups.  Britannica has a useful site or invite a history teacher to give a potted version of WW2 and German occupation. 
4. Provide some insights and background to the various Resistance movements in The Netherlands and France. Most of these Resistance groups were informal but over time they became more organised and were involved in dangerous activities. Women were often involved in the Resistance as they were often not suspected of clandestine and underground activities and were successful in a range of activities including delivering important messages tucked in their clothes or pretending to be pregnant and hiding documents or money. See p. 234 for extra information.
5. Consider exploring the information from p230 in Song of a Blackbird which gives fascinating insights to life in Amsterdam during the German occupation. 

Closer analysis of the language form and features of Song of a Blackbird

1. The exposition in a narrative is the description or explanation of background information to orient the viewer or reader to key narrative features. Exposition can cover characters and their relationship to one another, the setting or time and place of events, as well as any relevant ideas, details, or historical context. It can also establish the specific style of a work.
2. The opening part of Song of a Blackbird establishes the quest for Annika now that she knows her grandmother’s health challenges. This opening pages also establish the blackbird as part of Annika’s world. On p.15 the poignancy of the blackbirds’ position is realised as the aircraft bombers is powerful. This part also introduces the motif of the various engravings of different buildings which become significant in the narrative, for example, Print One: The Theatre. As the exposition develops we are introduced to the maverick teacher Mr Nijholt who discusses with his students the influence of propaganda: 
   
           When words or images spread fear and hate it’s PROPAGANDA.
           When they inspire love and compassion by revealing our shared humanity, its ART. 
          pp22-23
   
   Mr Nijholt’s revelations about the realities of the concentration camps adds a tragic dimension to his lessons. Later he reveals to some of his students that he is a member of the Dutch resistance, specifically he is involved in printing counterfeit papers like ID and ration coupons. On p.31 the narrative focuses on the SS activities - here there are fewer words and the force of the story is achieved through the stark, black and white illustrations.  

Written response 

With close focus on Part 1 in what ways are we drawn into the narrative and context of Song of a Blackbird? Write about 500-600 words.

In our subject English “in what ways” is synonymous with “how” - this can include the characterisation, setting, context, ideas, imagery and in this text the combination of images is a critical component of the narrative.  The work on the text’s exposition could become a scaffold for further close analysis. 

The blackbird motif

Could the blackbird be a representation of the power of art (in this case song) to transcend the everyday, including the horrors of man’s inhumanity and the tragedy of war?

Note that the blackbird’s narrative sometimes involves personal commentary which is subjective:  for example, “Mr Nijholt is an unconventional teacher. That’s why I like him.” and later where the blackbird explains about the eyes of the SS and the victims on p. 33 this draws our attention to the impact of fear and danger.  Also look at the blackbird’s bold comments on p. 36 where he asserts a different role. 

Once students have completed their reading of Song of a Blackbird divide the class into small groups and allocate different sections of the text to different groups to trace and track the ways the author uses the blackbird. 
Pool each group’s findings as a single document like Google docs.

Task (either individually or as a collaborative task)

Students are invited to highlight the 10 most engaging and interesting points about the blackbird and use the groups’ research to answer this question:

How has Maria van Lieshout used the blackbird as a key motif for representation in her powerful graphic novel, Song of a Blackbird?

Ideas and themes in Song of a Blackbird

In an effective text the composer will explore ideas which then become more universal in their commentary about humanity. The best literature will be able to speak across time and place about the universal verities or truths about human nature and behaviour.
Song of a Blackbird may use very specific contexts but the ideas and themes can be applied across time and place. 

It is important for students to be given agency to consider what the text says to them about broader human issues. The more we give students agency to think of their own insights the more we value their insights and encourage genuine personal responses.

Consider returning to small groups and each group is the discuss the ideas of the text which have wider application and become themes. 

Share the groups’ ideas and if they have not included some of these add to the list:

• Art as saviour
• Hope
• Resilience
• Unity
• Courage
• Compassion
• Fear
• Propaganda
• War and its impact
• Neighbourhoods and belonging
• Conscience
• Choices and decisions
• Justice and mercy.

The text’s visual impact

The combination of visuals with written and printed text is superb. The visuals add a layered impact and serve an important role in propelling the narrative and exploring the key ideas. 

Ask each group to choose two favourite double pages and explore the pages in terms of visual conventions. Students could talk to their double pages by transferring a photograph of their pages to the screen and unpack the specific features. 

Revisit the key ideas of visual literacy

• Layout
• Composition
• Colour
• Symbols
• Salience
• Framing
• Dialogue 
• Written text
• Style

Written response:

The strength of a graphic novel is the combination of written text and images. It is an engaging vehicle for telling important stories and Song of a Blackbird is a story that needs to be told. With detailed reference to your chosen pages and two more from different groups, discuss how Maria van Lieshout has combined these written text and images to both tell her story and represent her key ideas. 

Relevant details in relation to the new NSW English 7-10 syllabus

Text requirements: Song of a Blackbird is a graphic novel text from around the world. It has cultural, social and gender perspectives, including from popular and youth cultures.
For more recommended texts suitable for Stage 5, explore our Year 9 texts and study guides and Year 10 texts and study guides.

Concepts could include Context • Representation • Connotation, imagery and symbol.

Relevant NSW English 7-10 Syllabus content

Reading, viewing and listening to texts

A student uses a range of personal, creative and critical strategies to interpret complex texts EN5-RVL-01

• Develop a deeper understanding of themes, ideas or attitudes by revisiting and reinterpreting texts to find new meaning
• Analyse the main ideas and thematic concerns represented in texts
• Investigate how layers of meaning are constructed in texts and how this shapes a reader’s understanding and engagement
• Clarify and justify personal responses to texts, explaining how aspects of the text, such as character, genre, tone, salience or voice, position a reader and influence these personal responses
• Read increasingly complex texts that challenge thinking, pique interest, enhance enjoyment and provoke a personal response
• Consider how the social, cultural and ethical positions represented in texts represent, affirm or challenge views of the world
• Evaluate experiences of reading by sharing responses to texts
• Evaluate the ways reading texts help us understand ourselves and make connections to others and the world
• Reflect on how reading promotes a broad and balanced understanding of the world and enables students to explore wider universal issues

Understanding and responding to texts A

A student analyses how meaning is created through the use and interpretation of increasingly complex language forms, features and structures EN5-URA-01

• Analyse how language forms, features and structures, specific or conventional to a text’s medium, context, purpose and audience, shape meaning, and experiment with this understanding through written, spoken, visual and multimodal responses
• Analyse how figurative language and devices can be used to represent complex ideas, thoughts and feelings to contribute to larger patterns of meaning in texts, and experiment with this in own texts

Understanding and responding to texts B

A student evaluates how texts represent ideas and experiences, and how they can affirm or challenge values and attitudes EN5-URB-01

• Evaluate how texts can position audiences to accept, challenge or reject particular perspectives of the world, and reflect on this in own texts
• Analyse how elements of an author’s personal, cultural and political contexts can shape their perspectives and representation of ideas, including form and purpose
• Appreciate how all communication is a product of cultural context
• Research, select and sequence appropriate evidence from texts and reliable sources to construct cohesive and authoritative arguments

Expressing ideas and composing texts A

A student crafts personal, creative and critical texts for a range of audiences by experimenting with and controlling language forms and features to shape meaning EN5-ECA-01

• Use the structural conventions of analytical writing purposefully, including a well-articulated and considered thesis, a sustained and cohesive progression of supporting points, and a rhetorically effective conclusion
• Use the structural conventions of discursive texts purposefully, including the transition between personal and abstract texts, to present complex and nuanced ideas

(English K-10 Syllabus 2022 © NSW Education Standards Authority for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2023) 

Connecting texts