Fine Feathers

Wings by Sneed B. Collard III
and Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy with illustrations by Polly Dunbar

Wings by the impressively named Sneed B. Collard III, is a book that runs the whole gamut of flying things and wannabes, from bats to us. Along the way it introduces such words as echolocation and elytra (well, they were new to me anyway, and I was grateful for the well organised glossary at the end). It crosses over into several Curriculum areas, having useful information on different aspects of Technology and Science presented in an economical but entertaining way, as well as being a decided asset to the Arts area.

Robin Brickman’s superb collage illustrations make this an outstandingly beautiful book. (She and Collard previously collaborated on the self-explanatory Beaks in 2002) Wings has a broader scope than the earlier book, possibly because there is only so much you can do with a beak. Our own kiwi features here in a section on why some birds had the ability to fly and lost it; and there is detailed coverage of man’s efforts, with or without mechanical help, to gain this ability he has never had outside a superhero comic.

Because of its visual appeal, Wings could be enjoyed from pre-school to adult level.

Published by Charlesbridge They have an interesting website and also a blogspot.


Another very successful artist-illustrator collaboration is that of Margaret Mahy and Polly Dunbar, seen in the 2006 book Down the Back of the Chair and now in the 2008 version of Mahy’s Bubble Trouble, originally published in 1993. Like Wings, this too deals with flying:

‘Little Mabel blew a bubble and it caused a lot of trouble,
Such a lot of bubble trouble in a bibble-bobble way,
For it broke away from Mabel as it bobbed across the table,
Where it bobbled over Baby and it wafted him away.’

Margaret Mahy’s total command of rhyme and rhythm, perfectly visualised by the talented Polly Dunbar, make this an ideal read-aloud for children of many ages. Its colourful use of language and tongue-twisters would also be useful in helping children develop their own oral and written language skills.

Published by Frances Lincoln

Reviewed by Cecily Fisher.