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Summary
Summary
"Teague proves that a picture can be worth a thousand words--and almost as many laughs." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Engaging illustrations and the baby bird's wild ideas will entertain audiences of all ages." -- Booklist (starred review)
"Funny, feathery finesse." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Mama bird thinks it's time for Baby bird's first flight, but Baby bird has other ideas in this humorous wordless picture book from New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Mark Teague.
It's a big day up in the tree that Mama bird shares with her baby. Mama bird thinks Baby bird is finally ready to leave the nest and learn to fly so he can migrate south with the rest of their flock. But Baby bird isn't so sure. Can't his mother keep bringing him worms in their nest? Can't he migrate in a hot air balloon instead? Or perhaps a car?
This silly wordless picture book will keep young readers giggling as Baby bird figures out that he must flap his wings and learn to fly--whether he likes it or not!
Author Notes
Mark Teague is an American author and illustrator of children's books. Teague has illustrated over 40 books including the Poppleton series, the First Graders from Mars series, The Great Gracie Chase, and other favorites. He wrote and self-illustarted several Mrs. LaRue children's books.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
This fast-paced and nearly wordless picture book about growing up and gaining independence (whether willingly or not) doesn't skip a beat, from its title page all the way through to its heartwarming conclusion. As the book opens, a baby robin has fallen from its nest after a massive temper tantrum-but Teague's amiable acrylic illustrations (in a colorful yet subdued palette with gently cartooned figures, as exemplified in his How Do Dinosaurs...? art) help to mitigate any fears viewers may have for the displaced bird. When the baby robin is instructed by its parent to fly back to the nest, comedic "dialogue" ensues (expressed through word balloons filled with pictures, not text). The baby offers increasingly outrageous alternatives to spreading its wings-from getting a ride on its parent's back to piloting an airplane. Finally, the parent points out the danger of dogs and cats, but the baby isn't swayed until the threat of a spooky owl is mentioned. With no snarky response to offer, the baby bird musters up the wherewithal for a topsy-turvy jaunt back to its cozy home. This simple story is bolstered by spot-on humor and touches of visual support, such as a vertical foldout and subtle pathways running throughout the backgrounds on several complex layouts to help guide readers' eyes across the page. Know-it-all children and exasperated parents alike should relate-and have a good laugh, too. Patrick Gall November/December 2019 p.78(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist 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.--Maryann Owen Copyright 2019 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
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
Kirkus Review
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 foliagewith 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, nave pictorial retorts to every reason the adult gives for learning to fly. The baby imagines itself using all kinds of transportationincluding, but not limited to, gaily colored hot air balloons, skateboards, and trainsand 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) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
