Eep!

Gr 3–6—In this whimsical and touching story, Warren discovers a half bird/half girl, and he and his wife, Tina, take her in. They call her Beedy and love and care for her as their own child, until one day she unexpectedly flies away. Heartbroken, they set off to find her in hopes of saying good-bye. The couple soon meets up with several other people who have been touched by Beedy, and who never had a proper farewell either. Traveling together, they all search for the mysterious creature and learn valuable lessons along the way. Interspersed with illustrations reminiscent of Quentin Blake's work, the story ultimately conveys a message about connections and family. The main characters have a childlike wonderment that makes the fact that they are grown-ups kind of a secondary quality. For example, at one point they go to the big city to try to find out what could have happened to the child and spend hours going to different information booths. They collect data on movie times, bus schedules, and exchange rates, but are unable to find out anything about where their Beedy went. This original and creative work is compelling from the opening drawing right to the end of the book. Anyone looking for a fun read will enjoy the story, but it may be particularly poignant for children dealing with issues surrounding closure.—Kerry Roeder, Corlears School, New York City