Little Puffin's First Flight

PreS-Gr 3—After 42 days of caring for their egg in the nest, mother and father puffin are about to meet their "hungry, gray fuzzball"of a chick as he taps his way out. It is spring on the coast of Alaska and the baby puffin is hungry. The parents take turns bringing fish back to the rocky ledge where little puffin waits. It isn't always easy, as there are many predators (gulls, eagles, falcons) trying to grab the puffins for themselves. For six weeks the adult puffins care for the baby. One night, when little puffin's wing feathers have grown in, he leaps into the air and tumbles over the cliff. "Just as he's about to crash into the sea, Little Puffin spreads his wings and takes off!" At four years old, Little Puffin will choose a mate for himself, and they will raise a chick of their own. London's captivating prose appears at various places on the page and utilizes size changes and text shaping to add drama to the fact-infused narrative. Van Zyle's beautiful, full-bleed paintings use a palette of mostly blacks, blues, and grays, while a bright yellow moon illuminates Little Puffin's first flight. An author's note provides more information.