Take a Chance

March 1, 2023
An anxious bird slowly finds the courage to try new things. Bob the cardinal has a little adventurous streak despite his generally timid nature. He doesn't always fly with his flock, and he enjoys visiting other kinds of feathered friends, like Crow. Bob's boldness has its limits, however, which readers discover when he declines Crow's invitation to perch on a telephone wire. "Oh. Thanks...but um...I've got loads to do out east--maybe later?" he demurs. It's a phony excuse, but Bob heads out east anyway and meets Pigeon, only to turn down offers of unfamiliar food. He then heads south, where he refuses Flamingo's entreaties to wade in the water. Throughout, humor is enhanced by expressive watercolor, pencil, and digital illustrations that brim with emotion, movement, and vitality. Finally, after going west, Bob meets Eagle and, setting aside misgivings, joins the regal bird atop Mount Great. Bob's strategy for reaching the peak provides a great model for young readers, as he breaks up the big journey into small, manageable pieces and then revels in the view that rewards him. Bolstered by this success, Bob returns to the other birds, fesses up to his dishonest excuses, and comes to enjoy a bigger, fuller life as a result. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Definitely take a chance on this one. (Picture book. 3-8)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2023
Bob, a teardrop-shaped bird, is risk averse. When Crow invites him to perch with the other crows on the telephone wire, Bob worries about what might go wrong (bad breath, a collapse). He makes up an excuse: "Oh thanks...but um...I've got loads to do out East -- maybe later?" He in fact has nothing to do out East but flies off anyway. Bob meets Pigeon, who offers him some city-street delicacies. He's curious -- and hungry -- but fears the new foods could make him sick. He makes an excuse and wings it to another locale. Down South, Flamingo encourages Bob to swim at the beach; it's no surprise that Bob can't...he has a meeting out West. Finally, Bob encounters majestic Eagle, who empathizes with Bob's anxieties and inspires him to take a series of "mini chances." This successful experience gives Bob the confidence to visit Flamingo and Pigeon on the way home and try what he'd avoided before. (The everything bagel blows his mind: "OMG. Are you kidding me with this deliciousness?!") Rim's (­illustrator of Happy Springtime!, rev. 5/21) watercolor, pencil, and digital illustrations are full of humor and energy, as is the personality-filled text. This power-of-positive-thinking story speaks to the Bob in all of us. Kitty Flynn

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2023
Bob, a teardrop-shaped bird, is risk averse. When Crow invites him to perch with the other crows on the telephone wire, Bob worries about what might go wrong (bad breath, a collapse). He makes up an excuse: "Oh thanks...but um...I've got loads to do out East -- maybe later?" He in fact has nothing to do out East but flies off anyway. Bob meets Pigeon, who offers him some city-street delicacies. He's curious -- and hungry -- but fears the new foods could make him sick. He makes an excuse and wings it to another locale. Down South, Flamingo encourages Bob to swim at the beach; it's no surprise that Bob can't...he has a meeting out West. Finally, Bob encounters majestic Eagle, who empathizes with Bob's anxieties and inspires him to take a series of "mini chances." This successful experience gives Bob the confidence to visit Flamingo and Pigeon on the way home and try what he'd avoided before. (The everything bagel blows his mind: "OMG. Are you kidding me with this deliciousness?!") Rim's (illustrator of Happy Springtime!, rev. 5/21) watercolor, pencil, and digital illustrations are full of humor and energy, as is the personality-filled text. This power-of-positive-thinking story speaks to the Bob in all of us.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)