Fly! by Mark Teague

I'm always looking for that one perfect funny book to show the kids at school visits. It's tricky, because I have to keep finding new ones. I have found this year's choice and, believe it or not, it's a wordless book!

The end pages are decorated with a fuzzy gray robin fledgling considered all the angles around her nest. Then the story begins with mom feeding the baby, who quickly grows over the first spread from a pin-feathered pink baby to a plump gray baby bird with a charming tuft of feathers on her head.

And that's when all the trouble begins. Mom Robin thinks the baby could at least try hopping out of the nest a little to get her worm. Baby Robin sees no reason why Mom shouldn't keep bringing the food right to her! After a very impressive tantrum, Baby winds up... on the ground! How will she ever get back to the nest? Mom and Baby both have ideas, but they're both very different! Fine, Baby will just stay on the ground. She doesn't need to fly. What about migration? She'll ride a bike! Her suggestions get sillier and sillier until Mom brings her back to earth with a pointed reminder about the dangers on the ground and safety in the air and Baby finally makes her first flight. The endpages show the fledgling in full, happy flight, zooming all over the place.

The story is told without words, but in comic speech bubbles, Mom and Baby using pictures to communicate. Of course, the funniest part is the mix of Baby's expressions and the wacky ideas she is obviously suggesting to Mom. Fly? Not her! Mom can carry her back to the nest, no problem. And feed her that worm while she's at it!

Verdict: If you've never done wordless storytime, now's the time to start with this hilarious, clever book.

ISBN: 9781534451285; Published September 2019 by Beach Lane Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library