FICTION

Stork's Landing

by Tami LEHMAN-WILZIG
illus. by Anna Shuttlewood. 32p. Kar-Ben. Sept. 2014. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781467713955; pap. $7.95. ISBN 9781467713962; ebk. $6.95. ISBN 9781467746731. LC 2013021756.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—While migrating from Africa to Europe, a white stork becomes tangled in a net protecting a kibbutz fish pond. Young Maya persuades her father to rescue the injured bird. She calls the stork Yaffa, and because her wing cannot be repaired, the farmers build her a nest in a huge tire on the ground. Yaffa cannot fly to join a male stork that builds a nest in a nearby tree. The following spring, another female joins him while Yaffa watches from below. Soon three chicks hatch. When their mother does not return from foraging, Abba and Maya devise a plan to help Yaffa reach the chicks and save the family. The soft edges and muted colors of Shuttlewood's watercolor illustrations perfectly complement this low-key, pleasant, but improbable tale of animal rescue.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato
This charming story of a girl helping migrating storks takes place on a kibbutz in Israel, and Hebrew words are used strategically throughout. Maya's compassion and creativity are the focus, but the narrative unfortunately feels passive, missing out on an opportunity for a truly engaging story. Loose, lightly washed watercolors give life to Maya and the graceful storks.
Reviewed by Kathy Piehl , Jul 01, 2014

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