My Dad’s a Birdman
Posted on Sep 23, 2008 under Family & Relationships |
David Almond
Illustr. Polly Dunbar
Ages 9-12
Hardcover, 128 pages
Full color throughout
Candlewick
ISBN-13: 978-0763636678
$15.99
Buy the book
Our story opens as Lizzie has gotten herself ready for school in a flurry of activity. As she wakes and attempts to get her dream-daft father to relinquish his PJs and comb his hair, we learn that Dad has taken to eating bugs and worms while creating a set of wings so as to enter the Human Bird Competition. I cannot say much more without spoiling, but it will suffice for readers to know that what seems at first either a tale of the absurd or a mental health disaster in the making quickly takes on depth and compassion when we learn that loss has touched these two, and Dad’s oddness is understandable. A cast of supporting characters keeps things light, as Auntie Doreen bustles in grumpily with helpful home cooking, Mr. Poop officiates grandiosely over the contest, and Lizzie’s headmaster falls head over heels in at least three ways.
On its face it is a tale of relentless silliness. Author Almond’s energetic dialogue with its wildly nutty moments (”Blitheration!” “Oh, puddly pittlepot.”) offers the option of a merely light read. For those looking deeper, however, the story suggests that allowing your feet to leave the ground for the realm of dreams and imagination can help us navigate the dark times. Together Lizzie and her Dad, the birdman, throw themselves crazily into life both because of and in spite of their loss, in the process rediscovering their faith in and love for themselves and each other.
It would be tough to imagine a finer visual interpretation of this new novel for young readers by writer David Almond, winner of a Carnegie Medal and a Michael L. Printz Award, than the wide-eyed, spindly-legged, lighter-than-air mixed-media characters of Polly Dunbar. This is a feast of a book. Its subtle messages of hope, patience, kindness, and compassion miraculously penetrate the package in which they arrive: a goofy romp about flying and faith and hope, that famous “thing with feathers.” Dive in!
Ceci Miller owns CeciBooks, an editorial and book publishing consultancy that empowers authors to write, publish, and market irresistible books that uplift and inspire. Ceci has written, co-authored, and edited books with bestselling authors and experts since 1988. See new and recent book projects here. Get expert information on writing, publishing, and marketing a book in CeciBooks Chats (”Getting Started” series is FREE).
A graduate of the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Ceci Miller is also the author of two published children’s picture books, and former contributing editor for Darshan, an international magazine. A student of yoga and meditation since 1976, Ceci leads seminars that explore language as a vehicle for personal transformation. Based on her book Sacred Visitations, and the popular book she co-authored with John Lee, Writing from the Body, Ceci’s work (both with CeciBooks authors and in public programs) blends writing, intuitive guidance, and contemplative practices that connect your right brain creativity with your true intention.