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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607002630146 | Picture Books | WILD | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Puffling is a baby--small, white, and very hungry. Every day he waits in the burrow while his parents, Big Stripy Beak and Long Black Feather hunt for food. As he grows, Puffling dreams of the day when he will leave his nest and fly away--but he isn't ready yet, not until he's tall and brave enough to fend for himself. Every day Puffling asks his parents, but every day they say he must wait until he has grown bigger. Will he ever be ready to head out into the world on his own?
This story about how love makes us strong, brave, and happy, too, is perfect for so many milestones: first times with babysitters, first days of school, and even graduation.
Author Notes
Margaret Wild was born in South Africa and moved to Australia in 1972. She has been a journalist on newspapers and magazines, and worked as a book editor in children's publishing for sixteen years. She eventually quit to write fulltime.
Wild has written more than 40 books for children. Some titles include The House of Narcissus, Jenny Angel, Tom Goes to Kindergarten, Nighty Night!, The Pocket Dogs and The Very Best of Friends.
Her books are published around the world and have won numerous awards, including the Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA) - Picture Book Shortlisted in 2001 for Jenny Angel; the New South Wales State Literary Award - Young Reader Shortlisted in 2000 for Jenny Angel; the CBC Book of the Year - Picture Book Winner in 2000 for Jenny Angel; the Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA) - Picture Book listed in 2000 for Miss Lily's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa; the Australian Publishers Association - Design Shortlisted in 1999 for Jenny Angel; the Family Award for Children's Books - Picture Book shortlisted in 1999 for Jenny Angel; the Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA) - Picture Book Shortlisted in 1999 for Miss Lily's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa; and the CBC Book of the Year - Picture Book Shortlisted in 1985 for There's a Sea in My Bedroom. In 2015 she had an Honour Book at the 2015 Children's Book Council (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards with her title, The Stone Lion. (Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-This feel-good story about the early weeks in the life of a puffling offers children a glimpse at the bird's life cycle and a predictable analogy between its loving family and those of readers. Big Stripy Beak and Long Black Feather care for their hatchling in the burrow where they live and warn Puffling not to leave else he should fall prey to scary gulls that wait for such a misstep. The cute little puffling does as he's told and grows stronger, bigger, and braver until finally he is ready to leave his parents and join his friends in the sea, looking forward to making a family of his own. Vivas's lovely pastel and pencil illustrations manage to convey recognizable human emotions and still maintain their naturalistic integrity.-Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Vivas's meticulously drafted pastels distinguish this coming-of-age story by the team behind Our Granny. Big Stripy Beak and Long Black Feather, a pair of loving puffin parents, prepare Puffling for his launch into the wide world, where scary gulls wait just outside the opening of his burrow, and the sea, teeming with puffins, beckons beyond. The roundness of the birds' bellies is sculpted with hundreds of evenly stroked white lines, while glowing sea-green linework makes nocturnal scenes come alive. As Puffling grows, his parents feed him, coach him on what's to come ("When you are strong enough and tall enough and brave enough, you'll leave the burrow all by yourself"), and reassure him that all is going according to plan ("Am I brave enough?" Puffling asks. "Almost," his parents reply). If some younger readers are disturbed by the parents flying away and leaving Puffling to brave the world on his own, most will identify with his nascent sense of independence and adventure-and the confidence Puffling demonstrates when he successfully makes the big plunge. Up to age 5. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved