A sweet story of courage, with a fun mechanism to the art (turning the book different ways based on the direction the bird is moving). This would be good for SEL discussions.

2022 Caldecott Honor Book

Love this picture book! The story is delightful and the little bird has a "can do" attitude! I am a big fan of books that you have to rotate, move, etc. to present in Storytime so the format/design is wonderful. Mel has friends who try to help, but the she is fearless! (only later do we find out why) Also, enjoy a little humor for adult readers as well.

This is a great choice to read with one child or a group! ( )

Cute story of a bird trying something new and succeeding expectations. lots of community helpers. ( )

First sentence: One day, when Mama was away, Mel decided it was time to learn to fly. She had been in the nest long enough.

Premise/plot: Mel fell...but will Mel also fly? This one joins Mel in her journey down....and up. It is a coming of age story for young readers about the beginning initial steps of independence.

My thoughts: A fun flip of a book. It is not your traditional reading experience--physically. There's some twisting, turning, manipulating of the pages. But it works well. The format becomes part of the storytelling experience. I don't know that I loved it more than Tabor's Fox books. But I definitely enjoyed it. ( )

Scott really liked this one as did I. When a book encourages the reader to turn the orientation of the book based on what is happening to the little bird....I love that interaction! ( )