Review by Booklist Review
Nanty Solo arrives in town amid rumors that she can turn children into birds. Parents warn their progeny to stay away, but eventually the kids approach, and one by one, they are turned (temporarily) into birds. Word spreads and soon all the children want an opportunity to "Go on. Be happy. Off you fly!" Once the children are all airborne, the grown-ups demand that Nanty leave, something she is happy to do once she has turned all the adults into birds as well. True to Almond's style, this is a playful yet dark story that leaves many unanswered questions. Do the humans remain forever avian this time? And is that OK since everyone seems so much happier? Carlin's mixed-media illustrations employ a childlike style that features simple shapes, indistinct borders, and effective use of color. Adults and children before transformation are depicted in black and white; yellows, reds, and oranges predominate once they become birds. While the story details may disturb some, Almond's lyrical text and intriguing ideas offer much food for thought.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A curious stranger brightens a small town in this buoyant picture book by Almond (Annie Lumsden, the Girl from the Sea). White-presenting Nanty Solo, who wears a green sweater, uses a cane, and sits on a park bench in the town square, says she can turn children into birds. The grown-ups are by turns incredulous and horrified: "It's piffle, twaddle, balderdash... so stay away!" But one pale-skinned child soon discovers that Nanty Solo is telling the truth, becoming a swallow for "a few short, soaring minutes." Soon, another child says yes, and then another. Mixed-media spreads by Carlin (The Song of the Nightingale) heighten the town's workaday life by portraying figures of varying skin tones in shadowy, smudgy grayscale. Around Nanty Solo's transformations, though, golden light breaks through the shadow, lending color to the landscape. As more and more children take gladly to the sky, Nanty Solo asks the grounded adults a crucial question: "But what on earth are you frightened of?" It's the tale of the Pied Piper, transformed into a story of freedom. With hints of Roald Dahl and P.L. Travers, Almond's brief, electrifying tale champions defying convention and embracing risk. Ages 4--6. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--3--Nanty Solo is an old woman with a funny name and a peculiar magical ability: she turns children into birds. She doesn't turn them into the bird they want to be, but the bird she believes they truly are. And they always return to their human forms. The other adults in the town think she's weird or dangerous, and eventually convince her to leave town. Almond's lilting, offbeat story is in keeping with his other books, which often have magic and children who are different. This one serves as an allegory for society's fear of someone who encourages others to be themselves instead of conforming. Carlin's dreamy artwork uses colored pencils to create vivid scenes of children in flight, scenes that may have some parents wondering, perhaps, what are they missing? The contrast between the drab city and the colorful feathered friends is striking. VERDICT Purchase wherever Almond's work is in demand.--Chance Lee Joyner
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Children and adults have wildly different reactions to a magical woman's gift. The rumors are true. In a small village, a woman named Nanty Solo arrives, claiming to be able to turn children into birds. The adults call it "balderdash" but warn their kids away from Nanty Solo anyway. Young Dorothy Carr (pale-skinned with dark hair) is the first to disobey and swoops "into the blue" as a swallow for a few minutes before turning back into a girl. As Nanty Solo whispers the words, "Go on. Be happy. Up you go," more children become birds until the grown-ups tell Nanty Solo to leave. She agrees but asks, "But what on earth are you frightened of?" The grown-ups fly last of all and have a marvelous time as Nanty Solo leaves to visit more towns. With the cadence of a fable, the book revels in the deliciousness of language. Adults don't merely dismiss the magic woman but call her work "claptrap, tommyrot, piffle, bunkum!" Lisssome mixed-media art expertly showcases children of various skin tones transforming and leaving the world behind; Nanty Solo has skin the color of the page. And if the lesson of overcoming fear and letting children soar may be missed by some, it has all the hallmarks of a book destined to become a family favorite for others. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A timeless message with modern meaning to spare. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
