Unflappable

by Matthew Ward, Scott Magoon (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

A quick read with deceptive depth and a resounding sense of humor, this is the story of resiliency, grit and working through discouragement.

A witty and uplifting story about perseverance and hope, perfect for fans of The Magical Yet, starring three endearing flightless birds determined to get aloft. 

Three flightless friends long to feel the wind beneath their wings. So, they try, and try, and try to fly. But all they do is fall, fall, fall. Flying, it turns out, is hard.

Will they give up—or get up? Celebrating resiliency, persistence, and the power of “yet,” easy-to-read text and distinctive artwork by award-winning and bestselling illustrator Scott Magoon encourage and inspire readers young and old who aspire to learn a new skill or to make a dream come true. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358400059
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/17/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Matthew Ward is the author of the middle grade novels The Fantastic Family Whipple and War of the World Records. He lives in San Diego with his wife and three sons. Unflappable is his first picture book.

Scott Magoon is an art director who has written and illustrated several acclaimed picture books, such as the bestselling, Schneider Family Book Award winner Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, the Spoon series by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and his own Linus the Little Yellow Pencil and The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot! He lives in Massachusetts. 

Editorial Reviews

"Young readers will cheer for this very simply told tale about perseverance, the steadfast pursuit of dreams, and having an unflagging belief in oneself. These are characters kids will want to emulate as theyattempt to spread their own independent wings or try to conquer hurdles they didn’t believe they could. This high-flying charmer rises to the top.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Delightful. At the core, this is a book about the power of “yet.” These characters truly are unflappable, showing the importance of action in chasing a dream. In their quest, the birds experiment and endure with immediate and inspiring optimism.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/27/2023

PreS-K—A lesson of perseverance combined with comic illustrations should make this popular with preschoolers. Two earthbound birds, not realistically identifiable, are absolutely adorable as they look enviously at their fellow birds in flight. One panel shows the birds scheming towards flight and features a bird working out—delightful. But at the core, this is a book about the power of "yet." These characters truly are unflappable, showing the importance of action in chasing a dream. It's not enough to hope for a result; they work for it. In their quest, the birds experiment and endure with immediate and inspiring optimism. Even though they fail, and fail, and fail again, they are not discouraged and press forward toward the day their dreams come true. Even though there's an unfortunate bit of worm slander (why disparage the poor worms?), the theme of persistence rings strong. VERDICT With simple words and simple drawings, this picture book is a good starter pack for instilling a growth mindset in preschoolers or very young children.—Cat McCarrey

School Library Journal

2023-08-26
Who says wings are required to fly? Sometimes an uplifting boost to your spirits is all you need.

The three winged, albeit flightless, avian stars of this empowering picture book feel wistful that they can’t do what most birds do, but their sadness is brief. As they observe their fellow birds flying effortlessly, they’re determined to do it, too, no matter what it takes. They train, exercise, dream, and make literal plans—preparing detailed schematic drawings and blueprints—and also construct models and flying-machine prototypes. Despite their collaborative work and tenacity, however, they sometimes make mistakes and miscalculate, so they haven’t flown…yet. Sometimes they want to give up, but they’re birds and nothing if not, er, dogged and ready for every challenge. Can you guess how this story about cooperation, self-confidence, and sheer persistence ends? Young readers, who will have been rooting for these characters all along, will cheer—as do the other birds—not only for the threesome’s ultimate success, but also for this very simply told tale about perseverance, the steadfast pursuit of dreams, and having an unflagging belief in oneself. The colorful digital illustrations are loaded with warmth and energy, as are the expressive protagonists. These are characters kids will want to emulate as they attempt to spread their own independent wings or try to conquer hurdles they didn’t believe they could.

This high-flying charmer rises to the top. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews