Fly, Chick, Fly! - Hardcover

Mother and Father Owl raise their three chicks until the time comes for them to fly and depart the nest, which the first two do successfully. The third, however, is reluctant since her siblings left and didn’t return: “My brother flew and never came back. Was he eaten by a crow or killed on the track?” It takes some convincing, but eventually the chick takes flight: “She flapped. She flipped. She flopped. And this time . . . she flew!” Soon children see the chick all grown up in her own nest with a baby to boot. Though this picture book sympathetically depicts a familiar issue—leaving home—the fact that the chicks fly away and never see their family or home again may not reassure younger listeners. There are lively, eloquent touches in the text, and the softly rendered, evocative pastel illustrations are appealing, with the exception of the jarring spread depicting the chick flying, train looming behind her, against a dramatic red background. This has a nice message about facing fear head-on, but it may be best suited to larger collections. Preschool-Grade 2. --Shelle Rosenfeld