Fly!

Starred review from June 3, 2019
Many picture books feature young birds who refuse to fly, but Teague (Felipe and Claudette) takes the genre to new heights with this story. Wordless it may be, but there’s plenty of dialogue between the story’s petulant robin fledging and its
relatively patient mother, all conveyed via balloons filled with spot illustrations. The humor arises from the tension between Teague’s elegant, substantial-looking acrylic images and the parent-offspring bickering that readers can hear instantly and vividly in their minds. When the mom communicates to her child that all birds fly, her pictorial balloon suggests a bevy of graceful, soaring species. The child’s unflappable response? A series of illustrations show it laughingly opting instead for aerial transit via hot air balloon, hang glider, plane, and superhero cape. Countering the mother’s suggestion that the autumn migration will require flight, the wee bird invokes the idea of a road trip via bicycle, skateboard, or red convertible. Finally, the baby bird does fly—it takes a reminder that becoming an owl’s dinner is a real possibility—and the story ends with a reconciliatory cuddle that needs no further elaboration. Teague proves that a picture can be worth a thousand words—and almost as many laughs. Ages up to 8.

July 1, 2019
In this wordless picture book, a fledgling robin with a vivid imagination keeps resisting its father's encouragement to fly. The first double-page spread clearly and cleverly shows a sequence in which a young robin in its nest passes gradually from the stage of pink and un-feathered to fluffy and then flight-ready. The father robin has been busily stuffing the child's beak with whole worms, another signal that the youngster is maturing. Bold brush strokes and strong colors depict the birds, their nest on a branch, and surrounding foliage--with plenty of negative space to make room for speech bubbles. The "speech" consists of clear images showing a comical struggle between parent and child. Most of the "conversation" takes place on the ground, after the fledgling has inadvertently tumbled from its nest. The anthropomorphic facial expressions and body language are laugh-out-loud funny, as are the fledgling's ridiculous, naïve pictorial retorts to every reason the adult gives for learning to fly. The baby imagines itself using all kinds of transportation--including, but not limited to, gaily colored hot air balloons, skateboards, and trains--and the father becomes increasingly frustrated. Children will giggle at the power struggle, recognizing human behaviors. Robins, like humans, share all aspects of parenting, and it is commendable that the art depicts this parent as male. As nightfall approaches, the adult finally succeeds in motivating its child, leading to a harmonious concluding scene. Funny, feathery finesse. (Picture book. 2-5)

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September 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-Teague's wordless picture book features a mama robin and a baby who refuses to fly. The humorous story that ensues is told through word bubbles filled with expressive spot illustrations showing "the dialogue" between the two birds. As mama bird tries to push the baby out of the nest, her little one laughingly proposes creative ways of alternative transportation, such as a hot air balloon, hang glider, airplane, or cape. The suggestions continue with ground transportation such as a skateboard, car, train, or even a pogo stick. Parent-offspring bickering continues and readers will deduce the meaning without words easily. Once Mama suggests that the fledgling could become owl prey, the baby is airborne! The story ends with a celebratory snuggle back in their nest. VERDICT The beautiful illustrations will have readers talking and laughing throughout the entire book.-Morgan O'Reilly, Riverdale Country School, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2019
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Humorous, detailed acrylic paintings reveal a mother robin and her reluctant-to-fly child. While he's still a fuzzy-headed baby, his mother brings him worms for nourishment. As he increases in size, the fledgling becomes vociferous and?dare we say it?obnoxious in the increasingly strident demands he makes on his bedraggled parent. One day, in his haste to reach the proffered food, the baby bird hops out of the nest and falls, swirling, to the ground. When his mother encourages him to fly back up to their roost, he imagines a multitude of ways to get home without using his wings. The wordless tale uses speech bubbles filled with illustrations of the youngster's grandiose ideas and his mother's increasing frustration in his refusal to simply fly. The young bird begins by proposing his parent carry him, piggyback-style, back home, and then suggests a hot-air balloon, kite, skateboard, train, and pogo stick?much to his mother's chagrin. As day turns to night, his mother's warnings of danger, should he remain on the ground, don't do anything to reduce his confidence . . . until she mentions one predator that finally does the trick. Engaging illustrations and the baby bird's wild ideas will entertain audiences of all ages.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)