I had the privilege of reading and reviewing PETER LITTLE WING by Regan Macaulay, illustrated by Gordon Bagshaw. It is an amazing novel, and one I cannot recommend enough for your middle grade readers, whether children or students. Below is my review.
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TITLE: PETER LITTLE WING
AUTHOR: Regan W.H. Macaulay
ILLUSTRATOR:
Gordon Bagshaw
PUBLISHER:
Pandamonium
Publishing House
PUBLISHED:
2023
ISBN: 978-1-989506-65-3
PETER
LITTLE WING is a chapter book for middle grade readers. It is the story of
Peter, a kiwi, and his band of misfit friends who set out on an adventure to
locate the ingredients needed to cure Peter’s grandfather, Nandy Enzo, who is
very ill. The journey takes them through many ups and downs, all the while solidifying
their bonds of friendship in the multitude of stories that twist and turn
throughout their adventure.
Peter
recruits his closest friends from the National Aquarium where they live in
captivity—Onion, a little blue penguin with an inner ear disturbance; Tim, a
tuatara with Generalized Anxiety Disorder; and Rangi, a kea with clipped wings.
Along the way, they meet Pō, a Green and Golden Bell frog; and Andrew, a possum
daring death on a bridge. Together, the band of six friends work to listen for
“The Deep Understanding” to solve the riddles of the needed ingredients and
attempt to find them. But will they? And, if so, will they be able to make it
back to the aquarium in time to save Nandy Enzo?
Sprinkled
throughout the entire book are tidbits of information for kids (and adults) to
learn about the unique animals of New Zealand as well as the interesting
language and slang of this island country. Macaulay uses fun language
(definitions can be found in a glossary at the end of the book) and beautiful
imagery (“mosses, mulch, and shrub clusters formed a patchwork forest quilt”) throughout
which really paint a picture of the characters and setting.
While this
story is animal based, the stories of these friends very similarly mimic that
of humans in many ways making it very relatable for kids…from the relationships
amongst family, to living with and accepting other’s ailments, our desire to
belong, and the passing down of family stories from generation to generation, interwoven
over time.
The fact
that this is Ms. Macaulay’s first MG chapter book is remarkable. She weaves a
terrific story using wonderful language to create vivid images and set the
scenes very well, ultimately creating a book that is difficult to put down. I
highly recommend it and believe readers will also love it.
Gordon
Bagshaw’s illustrations help bring the story and friends to life, adding an
important part of the world in which these friends are weaving their stories.
The story
of this group of misfit friends on a mission to help a friend and encounter the
adventure of a lifetime through the “middle of nowhere” is excellent. Macaulay
uses these relatable animals to teach subtle lessons about how to treat others
in such a way that readers will find themselves rooting for the characters
without realizing they are also learning valuable life lessons. There are so
many surprising twists and turns on the adventure beyond the “Walls of
Shadows,” all the while demonstrating the bonds of friendship and ultimate
importance of treating others the way one wants to be treated. Well done!
*** Disclaimer:
I received a PDF copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my truthful
review. This review consists of my honest opinions, not influenced in any way
by the author. I did not receive any monetary compensation nor any other
incentive for my review.***
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Purchase information can be found on Regan's website at Regan W.H. Macaulay