Fledgling

When a young kestrel makes her first flight among the buildings of a bustling city, there is much excitement and danger as she is pursued by a hawk. By the creator of Akiak: A Tale from the Iditarod.

PreSchool-Grade 2-It is Fledgling's fate as the oldest in the nest to be the first to fly. She is very excited but nervous as well. Will she be able to do it and lead the rest of her siblings? She takes off tentatively but danger is lurking and Fledgling must use all of her skill to avoid being attacked by a huge hawk. She flies into the subway and into an amusement park looking for refuge. Finally, she finds her family. Blake gets all the details right. The protagonist is depicted in her first flight as a sympathetic character and even the youngest reader will immediately identify with her struggle. The illustrations give a sense of motion by the use of banked views from building roofs and towers. The colors convey the excitement as well as the danger. Blake has drawn his little heroine with loving care and Fledgling's success is a true delight. The story will hold the attention of very young children, while the illustrations will captivate older readers as well.
Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4-8. City life can be precarious, even for birds! Prior to the title page, an eager kestrel peeks up at the reader and announces, "Today is the day we are all going to fly." The fearful narrator plunges from rooftop, lands on a ledge, lunges again, and finally experiences the exuberance of flight. Threatened by a hawk at Coney Island, the young kestrel escapes into a subway train. Upon exit, he's lost until he hears his family calling him home. With minimal text, it is the ink-and-watercolor illustrations that relate most of the adventure, even a few incidents not mentioned in the narrative. The kestrel's ups and downs are shown from a variety of almost dizzying perspectives. Children will identify with the kestrel's desire for independence, cheer his resourcefulness in the face of danger, and take comfort in his return home. Linda Perkins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved