Join a young girl and her dad as they find their wings and take to the skies in a joyful, quirky, tender tale from a masterful author and illustrator.In a rainy town in the north of England, there are strange goings-on. Dad is building a pair of wings, eating flies, and feathering his nest. Auntie Doreen is getting cross and making dumplings. Contest barker Mr. Poop is parading the streets shouting louder and louder, and even Mr. Mint, the headmaster, is not quite himself. And watching it all is Lizzie, missing her mam and looking after Dad by letting him follow his newfound whimsy. From an inspired creative pairing comes a story of the Great Human Bird Competition €” a poignant, exuberant tale of the healing power of flights of fancy, and a very special father-and-daughter bond. Grade 1–4—A distinguished author's use of birds and human flight as metaphors for love's transcendence over grief and death takes a new form in this comic piece of magical realism. Lizzie and her widowed dad live in a city along the river Tyne in the north of England. From the first page it is clear that Lizzie is playing parent to her father's irresponsible child. Both are reacting to the recent death of Lizzie's mother. While the girl works hard at school, Dad remains in his room, unshaven and undressed. Finding purpose in the recently announced Great Human Bird Competition ("the first one to fly over the river Tyne wins a thousand pounds"), he secretly constructs a pair of wings from bird feathers and starts to consume bugs and worms. Sensible Auntie Doreen, as solid as her dumplings, calls him "daft." But when she tries to take Lizzie away from him, the child does her realistic best to make her father's dreams come true. Handsomely produced, the book is printed in varying size typefaces and enhanced by Dunbar's pencil, watercolor, and collage illustrations interspersed throughout the text. Casual yet evocative, they perfectly interpret Almond's broadly sketched characters. A fine read-aloud.— Margaret A. Chang, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. What if your dad was Skellig? Perhaps the idea of normalizing the mysterious, memorable character from his eponymous first book for young people wasn’t what Almond had in mind here, but it’s difficult not to think of Skellig when Lizzie’s father, Jackie, is eating bugs and trying to sprout wings. First written as a play for the Young Vic theater, this is an odd but moving piece. Jackie is obsessed with making wings that will take him high enough to win Mr. Poop’s Great Human Bird Competition. Jackie’s sister, Aunt Doreen, tries to keep him tethered with her rock-hard dumplings, but soon Lizzie joins Jackie in trying to fly—their method of propulsion, “wings and faith.” Dunbar’s glorious watercolor-and-collage artwork captures the happiness throughout. Despite flying flops, father and daughter realize it’s togetherness that can make someone soar. But in Roald Dahl–like fashion, there’s darkness here. Jackie is disturbing—possibly mad—and the subtly mentioned death of Lizzie’s mother adds an undercurrent of sadness. As always, however, Almond writes beautifully, and though particular moments may give pause, this novel is a tribute to the human spirit. Grades 4-6. --Ilene Cooper "Almond aims at a younger audience than usual, but crafts a tale at least as emotionally complex as any of his heavier outings." — Kirkus Reviews David Almond , whose many awards include a Carnegie Medal and a Michael L. Printz Award, is known worldwide as the author of  Skellig ,  Kit's Wilderness ,  Heaven Eyes, The Fire Eaters , and many other books and plays. Of  My Dad's a Birdman , his first novel for younger readers, he says, "Birds have always been a big influence. It’s something to do with the urge to transcend our earthbound state, to sing, to be free. There is darkness in the story, of course, but I think I found a way to make a joyful piece about grieving, about how love can help us overcome pain, and about how the imagination can work profound changes." He lives in Northumberland, England. Polly Dunbar  is the author-illustrator of  Dog Blue ,  Flyaway Katie , and  Penguin , and the illustrator of  Shoe Baby  by Joyce Dunbar and  Here's a Little Poem  by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters. She lives in Brighton, England. Used Book in Good Condition