Tag: lita judge

Penguin Flies Home (Lita Judge)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Penguin Flies Home by Lita Judge, a sequel to her adorable Flight School.

Penguin is loving his new life at Flight School. Using the wire-and-feather harness contraption that his new friends gifted him in the first book, he is exploring the world from a brand new perspective as he soars over the clouds. The only thing that makes him sad is that he can’t share this new talent with all the friends he left behind at the South Pole. Seeing that their pupil and pal is homesick, the other birds plan a field trip… to Antarctica! Penguin’s old friends are delighted to see him, and he is equally eager to teach them everything he’s learned about flying. However, the other penguins simply aren’t as interested in achieving flight, and he realizes that his dreams are very different from theirs. He worries that his old friends must think he’s ridiculous for having such un-penguin-like goals, but he will find that when someone loves you, the differences don’t matter as much.

It’s rare that a sequel is even better than its predecessor, but this one absolutely is. Once again, the message is about not putting limits on your dreams, this time focusing on the idea that dreams should not be dictated by one’s background or community. Indeed, Penguin’s own anxieties of what the others will think of him are his hurdle in this book, and it’s an incredibly relatable emotion (a scene in which Penguin gazes at an aurora, contemplating his deep need to fly, is positively moving). The story resolves beautifully, with Penguin’s old and new friends coming together to show that while his dreams may differ from theirs, all they feel for him is love and pride. The art, from the round and cuddly penguins to the gangly flamingo and everyone in between, is delightful. The length is great, and JJ loved it. An uplighting treat, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved.

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Flight School (Lita Judge)

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Hello, friends! Today’s book is the adorable Flight School by Lita Judge, a wonderful story about a plucky little penguin with a dream: to fly.

When Flight School begins its new semester, the teachers find themselves with a rather unorthodox student: a penguin! They gently inform the little chick that while they would love to teach him, penguins aren’t meant to fly. The little penguin is insistent, however, that he has the soul of an eagle, and that he can and will soar among the clouds. He works hard, studying along with his classmates, despite not being able to keep up with them physically. At last, all the Flight School students are cleared for flight… except for penguin. Dejected, he accepts his limitations and begins to leave – until Flamingo suddenly has an idea that might help the determined little penguin make his dreams a reality.

LOVED this one. It’s a touchingly sweet story about how physical attributes should never deter you from your dreams, and serves as a powerful metaphor for differently-abled people not letting their bodies determine their fate. It also encourages others not to dismiss a person’s dreams based on physicality: Penguin’s teachers are the ones who build him a set of wings from their own feathers, then help him to stay up in the air. It’s a lovely message that encourages us to believe in the dreams of others and help them where we can. The illustrations are absolutely darling, and the length is great. JJ and I both loved this story about a community coming together to make a dream come true, and it’s definitely Baby Bookworm approved.

Hoot And Peep (Lita Judge)

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Hello, everyone! It’s been an overwhelming day for many of us, so it was nice for JJ and I to take a moment to enjoy a book together. Today, we read Hoot And Peep by Lita Judge, a story about an owl learning to love his little sister for all her differences.

Hoot is very excited to take Peep, his little sister, out for the first time; he’s looking forward to sharing all his big brother owl wisdom, such as how to hoot. However, Peep has her own way of singing all her own that is VERY different from the way Hoot does things. He quickly grows frustrated with Peep because, wanting to be herself, she refuses to take his advice even though he is older than her. Eventually, he yells at Peep and scares her off, but quickly regrets his actions: the night is much lonelier without his sister and her unique song. Can Hoot make amends with Peep and learn to accept his little sister for who she is?

We absolutely loved this one! The story of older and younger siblings is timeless, especially the aspect of older siblings growing frustrated when younger siblings won’t follow their instructions or advice. The resolution was lovely, and the language, owl songs included, was fun to read. The art was gorgeous, too, filled with beautiful scenes of the owls flying playfully over Paris at night. JJ really liked this one, and the length was fine, so we are definitely calling it Baby Bookworm approved!