Little Puffin's First Flight - Hardcover

For THE SEASONS OF LITTLE WOLF by London and Van Zyle: The creators of THE EYES OF GRAY WOLF (1993) bring the same close intimacy to this sequel a chronicle of a cub s eventful first year. Thanks to the illustrations low angle of view, readers practically become members of the pack. Little Wolf and his three littermates are born in spring, bumble out of the cozy den for playtime in the warm months of summer, and then in autumn, join parents Gray Wolf and White Wolf on a hazardous first hunt. London likewise invites children to think of the wolves as practically human: Little Wolf and his sibs chow down by nipping Gray Wolf s muzzle after he returns from a hunt. (London leaves the exact mechanism of delivery ambiguous, which may cause readers to believe that Gray Wolf has just carried a mouthful of meat home to the cubs.) The cubs also play tug-of-war and hide-and seek until things get too wild and White Wolf imposes a wolf s time-out. Still, for all the attentive parenting, close family ties and social nature on display here, the wolves are not anthropomorphized. Respectful and informative, with dashes of humor and drama. (afterword) (Informational picture book. 6-8) Kirkus Reviews"

A horned puffin hatches, grows and flies for the first time on the Alaskan coast. London's characteristically lyrical, clipped free verse describes the meeting of two puffins, followed by nesting, tending their single egg and the hatching of their "hungry gray fuzz-ball." Taking turns to guard the chick and hunt, Mother and Father Puffin raise Little Puffin to fledging. One night, spectacularly foregrounded against the rising moon by Van Zyle in three successive spreads, Little Puffin makes his way to the edge of the cliff and then jumps, first falling and then flying to find his own mate four years later. With the exception of naming his puffin family, London largely avoids anthropomorphizing his subjects even as he uses figurative language his preschool audience will understand: "Dressed in her life jacket / of carefully fluffed feathers, / Mother Puffin bobs like a cork / in the icy cold ocean." Scientific facts (puffins have heavy bones; their predators include gulls) are woven neatly into the brief, just-dramatic-enough narrative. Van Zyle keeps his palette realistically limited to cold grays and blues except for that tremendous yellow moon and the puffins' beaks, relying on shifts in perspective and scale to maintain visual interest. In one humorous image, three herrings droop comically from Father Puffin's beak. A two-page author's note provides further information. A bracing nature adventure for animal-loving preschoolers. (Informational picture book. 2-6) Kirkus Reviews"

"After 42 days of caring for their egg in the nest, mother and father puffin are about to meet their "hungry, gray fuzzball"of a chick as he taps his way out. It is spring on the coast of Alaska and the baby puffin is hungry. The parents take turns bringing fish back to the rocky ledge where little puffin waits. It isn't always easy, as there are many predators (gulls, eagles, falcons) trying to grab the puffins for themselves. For six weeks the adult puffins care for the baby. One night, when little puffin's wing feathers have grown in, he leaps into the air and tumbles over the cliff. "Just as he's about to crash into the sea, Little Puffin spreads his wings and takes off!" At four years old, Little Puffin will choose a mate for himself, and they will raise a chick of their own. London's captivating prose appears at various places on the page and utilizes size changes and text shaping to add drama to the fact-infused narrative. Van Zyle's beautiful, full-bleed paintings use a palette of mostly blacks, blues, and grays, while a bright yellow moon illuminates Little Puffin's first flight. An author's note provides more information. VERDICT A recommended purchase for most collections." School Library Journal"

Follow precious Little Puffin through his first year of life as his parents protect and prepare him for life on his own. From the safety of the little chick’s nest to his clumsy attempts at flight, Van Zyle’s paintings depict Little Puffin’s adventures through a variety of perspectives, from close-up portraits to sweeping action scenes. Jonathan London’s lyrical prose imparts a reverence for wildlife, endearing the puffin chick—Sea Parrot, Underwater Acrobat, Clown of the Ocean—to the reader and creating a suspenseful read-aloud.