Fly Like a Bird

by Olga Ptashnik

Overview

A playful tour through the flight patterns of pelicans, peregrine falcons, and other incredible birds.

“What if I never learn to fly?” a baby chickadee asks. “You will when the time comes!” an adult answers. “Let me tell you about how our friends fly.” Will the chick fly like a hummingbird—moving its wings at top speed and sipping nectar from flowers? Will it fly like an Andean condor—using air streams to soar through the mountains? Will it fly like a penguin—flapping its wings like fins underwater? Maybe this tiny chickadee can find its own way to fly.

With vibrant illustrations and incredible facts about each feathered friend, Fly Like a Bird is a thrilling introduction to life on the wing. This warm, conversational book is perfect for nature lovers, aspiring birdwatchers, and anyone who’s ever wondered how to soar into the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802856456
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/02/2025
Series:	Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers (SSCR)
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 9 Years

About the Author

Olga Ptashnik is a Russian children’s book illustrator and amateur naturalist who finds inspiration in little leaves and big rocks. She earned her master’s degree in biophysics before pursuing illustration as a self-taught artist. Olga’s books have been published in six languages, and her work has been exhibited at the Bologna Book Fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair, and the Society of Illustrators. Fly Like a Bird is Olga’s English-language debut. Visit her website at olgaptashnik.com or follow her on Instagram @olga.ptashnik.

Editorial Reviews

"The beautiful book finds a unique way to impart its information...sure to spark discussion about animal classification...An enchanting exploration of what it means to be a bird—and to be yourself." — Booklist

"A fact-filled tale filled with lush images that truly soar." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2025-07-19
An uncertain chick receives some flight guidance from someone in the know.

Ptashnik uses a question-and-answer structure to tell the story of an anxious baby chickadee who wonders, “What if I never learn how to fly?” An adult chickadee affirms: “You will learn when the time comes!” From there, the conversation turns to how other birds fly, with the baby assessing its own abilities. After discovering that hummingbirds flap their wings fast, the little one suspects that method might be too tiring. “Are there ways to fly without flapping my wings so much?” it asks. “Wandering albatrosses spend most of their lives soaring above the seas,” answers the adult. Baby worries about being able to catch the wind the way albatrosses do. From there, the two discuss birds who don’t fly at all, like penguins and ostriches; those that fly as a group, like starlings; and loners, like owls. Centered on the gentle rapport between baby and adult, Ptashnik’s sweet narrative is filled with facts, but her true gifts are as an illustrator rather than a storyteller. Her digitally created spreads depicting the variety of feathers used for flying, dreamy views of penguins knifing through the water, pelicans swooping into the water as people fish by the docks, and condors taking flight are knockouts full of watery-windy movement and reflective light and shadow.

A fact-filled tale filled with lush images that truly soar. (further information about the birds mentioned)(Informational picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews