Charlie Sparrow is a bird who does not know that he can fly. In fact, all the birds in Tree City are ignorant about flying, given that they are unaware about the true power of their feathery wings.
Young Charlie, however, suspects that his wings have a special purpose, which he is eager to find out. Unfortunately, when his parents learn about their son’s ambitions, they send him to the misguided Dr. Nightingale, who diagnoses the precocious boy with Leaping Syndrome, and orders that the feathers in the young child’s wings be plucked.
Will Charlie discover the truth about his wings before they are picked apart by Dr. Nightingale? This dramatic question forms the basis of local writer David Anderson’s captivating children’s book Charlie Sparrow and the Secret of Flight.
“Originally I came up with the idea (for the book) because I was taking a children’s publishing workshop,” says Anderson, who grew up in Prince Edward Island but now lives in Ottawa.
His first draft consisted of a picture book that he illustrated himself. The publisher who was heading up the workshop, however, encouraged him to expand it into a full children’s story.
“The picture book was basically the first two chapters but with a lot less words,” says Anderson. The process of turning this initial draft into a full story was a lengthy one, with the entire project taking four years.
Thankfully, all of his work paid off as the resulting story is beautiful. I couldn’t help but smile in several parts of the book, as I became immersed in the ingenious tale of how little Charlie discovers the secret of his wings.
While a self-published work, (Anderson released Charlie Sparrow under his own publishing house Underdog Books), the tale is comparable to books released by established publishers. This is quality work that is worth reading.
Anderson’s illustrations, meanwhile, are quite cute, as they capture the full range of Charlie’s emotions: Curiosity about solving a mystery; fear of Dr. Nightingale; pure joy as he flaps his wings and, to his astonishment, hovers above the ground.
This book is ideal for children aged seven to 10. The story is challenging enough to keep young readers interested, while also being accessible for elementary school reading levels. Parents, meanwhile, will be able to share this story with their kids, as the story celebrates the youthful wonder of discovery.
I am glad that I came across this book and would recommend parents and children alike to pick it up.
.gif)