Wings

February 1, 2019

PreS-K-Starting with the title, Klein utilizes 12 rhyming words, presented in carefully plotted succession, to tell the tale of a baby bird's first flight: from fearful trepidation ("Clings"), that doozy of a first step ("Flings"), a rough landing ("Stings"), determination to try again ("Springs..."), to heart-lifting triumph ("Zings!"). Created with Avery labels colored with markers, dePaola's bright-hue collage illustrations are fresh, airy, and thoroughly captivating. The artwork conveys and enriches the succinct story with eye-catching action and playful humor. With its proud posture and wide-open eyes, the featured bird immediately stands out from among three nearly identical nestmates, cueing readers to expect great things. The protagonist's emotions and moments of discovery are conveyed through its animated features and expressive body language; the minimalist background details keep attention focused on the baby bird's adventures, and mesmerized youngsters will breathlessly follow each up and down. VERDICT Share this exuberant tale about learning to soar as a read-aloud, or use it with older kids to explore how a story can be crafted from a list of rhyming words. An easy-to-read choice about mastering milestones with élan.-Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2019
In a narrative told with just 12 rhyming words and dePaola's bright collages, a fledgling takes its first flight."Wings!" the text proclaims as the chubby pink bird stretches its pinions. But: "Clings," it continues as the little bird looks down, claws gripping the nest. The bird "flings" itself out, then tumbles and falls into a puddle ("stings"), "wrings" itself dry, inspects its bruises (or "dings"), gazes at some "things" (a snail and some worms), one of which it resolves to "bring" back to the nest. It "springs" back into the air, "sings" in triumph, flies in "rings" through the air, and "zings" with its nest mates up to two parent birds. While it's a complete arc, the book feels more like a stunt than a story. Limiting the text to one-syllable "ing" words results in the not-really-apropos "stings" when the bird crash-lands, the at-first-inscrutable "dings" (children and adults alike will wonder where the dinging sound is coming from before the adult readers recall its alternate meaning), and the flabby "things." DePaola's illustrations too often fail to pick up the slack: The bird shakes the water off rather than "wring[ing]" itself dry; depicting the singular conjugation "sings" are the three nest mates with beaks open and the protagonist, its beak clamped shut on a worm--just who is singing?An artful curiosity and perhaps a challenge for writing units, but not a great picture book. (Picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from November 15, 2018
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Using minimal, rhyming text (no more than one word per spread), Klein (The Magic Words, 2016) and the prolific dePaola detail a baby bird's first tentative steps toward independence. A pinkish chick in a purple nest "clings" to the edge and finally "flings" himself over the side, landing in a shallow puddle, which "stings." He "wrings" water from his feathers, checks for "dings," examines "things" (earthworms), and then "springs" into the air as he "brings" a worm to his nest-bound siblings, each of whom "sings" with gratitude. Eventually all the nestlings try their own wings, joining their parents (who have been observing from the branch of a nearby tree) in a family flight. Klein's clever text offers just enough structure to keep the narrative going, while dePaola's collage and mixed-media illustrations fill in additional details. Sunny backgrounds (in pastel shades of yellow, orange, pink, purple, and green) offer pleasing contrasts to the birds and their surroundings. Reflective of the text, the artwork is uncluttered, focusing on the new fledgling and his immediate environment. The bird's eyes change from spread to spread, revealing his emotional status at every turn. Perfect for toddler storytimes, one-on-one sharing, or early emergent readers, this one sings to young and old alike. More, please?(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)