Tessa Takes Wing

May 14, 2018
Tessa wakes up just before dawn. “Up,” she says, as babies her age are wont to do. But when no one responds, the plump, round-faced Tessa doesn’t cry or pout. Instead, she sprouts a tiny pair of wings—just like those on the butterflies in her crib mobile—and flies around the house. Never touching the ground, Tessa heads for her older sister’s toys and polka-dotted umbrella, her glee apparent as she plays with what are almost certainly forbidden objects. She reads to Bingo the dog, who seems unsurprised but thoroughly delighted with his little, suddenly aerodynamic owner. She flies back to the crib as the rest of the family stirs at sunrise, but soon she’s “up” again in real life (“up in her high chair... up on Daddy’s shoulders... up, up high in Mama’s arms—almost as if she were flying”). Jackson (Have a Look, Says Book) employs minimal text with zephyr-like wit, and digitized watercolors by Downing (No Hugs Till Saturday) make Tessa’s flight both comically balletic and emotionally real. More poem than story, it’s also a wonderful reminder that everyone is capable of a rich fantasy life. Ages 3–6.

June 1, 2018

Toddler-PreS-While the rest of the household is asleep, baby Tessa grows wings, flies up and out of her crib, and, accompanied by the family dog, Bingo, engages in several adventures. It's dark, the moon is still large in the sky, and Tessa's head pops up in her crib. "Up," she says, and, undeterred by the lack of response, sprouts tiny wings and floats across the room. She plays with her sister's toy elephant, fire truck, and umbrella, and even reads some books. Finally, day breaks, and Daddy comes in to scoop Tess up and carry her to breakfast. Now she can be "up" for real-in her high chair, on Daddy's shoulders, and flying in Mama's arms. The illustrations, executed in digitally combined watercolor and colored pencil, usher readers into a darkened, toy-filled bedroom, where Tessa's round head stands out above her red flowered pajamas. The baby's body forms a ball as she floats aloft, and then performs acrobatic stunts clinging to a fire truck ladder. A series of circular vignettes across two pages depict Tessa devising several ways to use her sister's polka-dotted umbrella. There are many humorous touches, including the interactions between Bingo, baby, and books. Alert readers will also notice that older sister Maggie has her own set of wings. VERDICT This fantasy, a delightful pairing of minimal text and humorous illustrations, is sure to be enjoyed by young children and their adults, who just may be convinced that Tessa's mischievous thoughts float in their own little ones' heads.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2018
When the lights are out and everyone is asleep, baby Tessa takes flight--literally!In this whimsical tale, a wee baby with wispy dark hair and just two little teeth lies in her crib asking to be picked up. But no one does. Her older sister lies asleep near her, the lights are out, and the moon is shining. "Goody, she thinks and jumps up herself": Wings have sprouted on her back, and Tessa takes flight, tumbling through the air head over heels, up, up, and away from her crib. Clearly, it's not her first time, and she loves it. She plays with toys, spins a red-and-white umbrella that becomes another instrument of flight, and shares books with Bingo the dog. As dawn nears and Bingo's thump-thumping tail knocks the blocks over, Tessa knows it's time to tidy up and get back to her crib. As the family's day starts, the text plays with the word "up": "Daddy lifts her up," then "everyone is up," she's "up in her high chair," "up on daddy's shoulders," and "up high in Mama's arms." If only they knew how high up Tessa can really go! The book ends as Tessa takes flight again when everyone is napping. The delightful watercolor-and-colored-pencil illustrations are as whimsical as the story and equally filled with movement. Tessa and her sister both have pale skin and dark hair; Mama has light-brown skin and black hair, while Daddy presents white, suggesting a mixed-race family.Readers may wish they had wings, too. What fun! (Picture book. 3-6)

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