Lita Judge. Athenum Books for Young Readers, 2014

Penguin has the soul of an eagle. But with no feathers and those tiny little wings, signing up for flight school with feathered friends of the bird community seems fruitless. Penguin practices for weeks, but when the time comes to take flight, he plunges into the ocean. With a little help and ingenuity from the other birds, Penguin soars with the wind at last. Penguin is so impressed with the Flight School’s ability to help birds fly, that he brings his friend Ostrich. Yes, an ostrich; dense bones, not aerodynamically shaped . . .you can almost see what’s coming. This picture book ends with Penguin telling the flight school instructors that “My friend Ostrich has the soul of a swallow.” This ending, coupled with Judge’s *adorable* and expressive illustrations (this lady can draw birds!) take this picture book’s charm factor sky high.