TIM DOES HIS OWN THING

In this Dutch import, a group of birds tries to teach a newly hatched babe how to fly.

Readers see only a tiny portion of the parent before the egg rolls away to hatch. A (geographically improbable) collection of other birds flock to the chick and ask all sorts of questions. While the tot knows his name is Tim, that seems to be all he knows, so Master Owl determines that the first order of business must be to teach him how to fly (never mind that only one bird species can fly right after hatching). Mother Blackbird and Father Duck each give Tim a lesson, but he’s too busy watching the world around him to pay attention. Miss Eagle, on the other hand, gets the other birds to fashion larger wings for Tim, then transports him to the cliff top. But he shrugs the wings off and shouts, “I DON’T WANT TO FLY!” With that, Tim hears the familiar voice of his dad, a penguin. The other birds look chagrined, even more so once Tim decides to give them all a lesson in diving. Brandenburg’s illustrations are more realistic than cartoonish, the various species identifiable though not labeled. While the story itself isn’t rooted in realism, the takeaway—sometimes it’s best not to listen to the crowds—is a sound one.

Marching to your own drummer is sometimes the best way of being true to yourself.