Sometimes you might fall
down,
down,
down,
Before you learn to fly up, up, up!
When Mel the kingfisher fledgling marches to the end of a branch, she spreads her wings... and plummets. As kids follow her fall down the vertically-oriented pages, though, they'll notice that even as Mel's friends rush to try to catch her, and even as her speed picks up as she races towards the ground, she keeps her eyes closed and a smile on her beak. When she crashes into the water, it seems like her fall was a failure... but when she emerges from the water, soaring back into the sky with a fish in her mouth, it turns out her fall was actually a great success!
This charming tale, with its vivid illustrations and innovative format, is a celebration self-confidence and of taking a deep breath and making a leap into your first time trying something new!
"The unusual orientation, coupled with the gripping idea of first flight (or fall!), inspires both excitement and anxiety.... A note on kingfishers appears in the backmatter above a delightful picture of Mel nudging one of her siblings toward the end of the branch. Young people, who find themselves on the precipice of new activities, routines, schools, and challenges so frequently, will savor this little kingfisher’s success and perhaps feel they can right themselves the next time they fall into a downward spiral." — Kirkus Reviews
Recommended Age | 3 - 7 |
---|---|
Author | Corey R. Tabor |
Illustrator | Corey R. Tabor |
ISBN | 0062878018 |
Publication Date | Feb 2, 2021 |
Publisher | Balzer + Bray |
Award Winners | Caldecott Honor |
Language | English |