Horwitz: Blue Wings

A giraffe, trapped in a hollow baobab after a flood, comes to an agreement with an exhausted blue bird. The keeping, or breaking, of her promise drives each day forward as she struggles with her conscience in the face of temptation. All the while, the blue bird suffers captivity, until finally, a gazelle, also in flight across the desert which now surrounds the baobab, triggers a way out. Each of them must learn that freedom cannot be achieved by betrayal, or by good intentions or prayer; and that true freedom comes from within. Blue Wings is a more gentle tragedy than a comedy, which is refreshing because far too many things for children intend to amuse rather than engage. Anna Varney's illustrations are vibrant and painterly.