Fly, Chick, Fly!
Fly, Chick, Fly!
Jeanne Willis
Andersen Press Ltd
ISBN 9781849393447
In the middle of a wood there is a chick who will not fly. "Not I!" she cries to Mother Owl and Father Owl. She flaps, she flips, she flops and hops back into the nest. Time passes and seasons change, but still she refuses to fly. Will she ever learn to let go and soar up into the open sky?
Librarian's Book choiceThere will not be many KS1 classrooms that do not have a copy of the classic Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and this new book from the “dream team” of Willis and Ross will be such a delightful counterpoint to share with the class and at the same time will provide them with a real insight into the passing of time, of growth and the seasons.
It is also a delightful little story about facing up to fears and taking that first big step which will really resonate with young children who have just had to make their first big step into school. Willis’s superb rhythmic, repetitive text tells us about the three eggs hatching, the chicks growing and then '..the first chick tried to fly. She flapped. She flipped. She flopped. But then she flew!'
So did the second chick, but the third chick refused to try and lists her fears of crows, the rain or even being hit by a train. What is more her brother and sister flew and never came back and what happened to them?
One really feels for the little owl, particularly when we see her clinging for dear life to a branch while her father tries to tug her off - a classic humorous Ross touch! Eventually of course she did flap, flip, flop and fly and after the winter has passed she is back in the old oak tree with her own baby chick.
The beautiful, deeply coloured pastel illustrations, including a stunning full page image of the dreaded train, are very evocative of nature and the seasons and show us a different and very rewarding side to the highly talented Mr Ross.
