Bailey the bat and the tangled moose

Gr 2--4--In this twist on the bedtime blues, nocturnal Bailey can't sleep in the daytime. Restless, disobedient, conflicted, Bailey flies into the forest in response to a plaintive cry. A young moose is caught in an old bit of rope, with hunters near in one direction and a pack of wolves in the other. Suspense! Bailey and the colony save the moose, and the hunters do not shoot the wolves. Bailey apologizes for leaving the roost, but is "grounded" (upside down), dreaming of more adventures. This first effort by Lawrence and Landry packs information about bats into an exciting tale with an intrepid heroine. The hitch is that the story is longer than a standard picture book, but the typeface is a bit small for emerging readers. Linocut digitally colored illustrations often use a bat's-eye sky-perspective, sometimes swooping down for a moose close-up, and, once, giving a wolf's-eye-view. The strong colors of the illustrations make this perfect for readers on the cusp of enjoying graphic novels. VERDICT This will find a home with adventure-loving independent readers who like a little science with their stories.--Patricia D. Lothrop, formerly at St. George's Sch., Newport, RI

Bailey is a little brown bat with a spirit of adventure who finds much to explore in the daylight. One morning Bailey hears unusual loud noises coming from the forest, and they are too intriguing to ignore. Nervously and with pounding heart, Bailey leaves all the other brown bats sleeping and flies out of the roost to the forest, discovering Matty, a young bull moose whose antlers are badly tangled in fence ropes. Matty's parents cannot hear his cries, and a dangerous pack of wolves is getting too close for comfort. Bailey attempts to untangle the frightened moose, using claws and sharp teeth, but cannot break the thick rope. With the wolves getting closer, Bailey emits loud, high-pitched squeaks to declare an emergency, knowing that Mama and all the other brown bats will come flying to the rescue. Mama sends some bats to get Matty's parents and dozens more to chew the ropes. Matty is free, his parents arrive in time to charge the wolves, and Matty hails Bailey as a hero. Aimed at emergent readers, Lawrence's brief, descriptive text keeps the action moving while carefully incorporating bat facts. Always referred to by name, Bailey is assigned no gendered pronouns and is kind, brave, and resourceful. Setting them against colorful Canadian scenery, Landry depicts the animals sympathetically as cartoons with a just-right touch of accuracy. A satisfying adventure with a hint of more to come. Hooray for Bailey. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.