A Wish for Wings That Work

Author: Berkley Breathed
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Copyright: 1991
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 6 to 9 (Barnes and Noble)
Summary: This story is about Opus, the penguin who wishes he could fly. Opus is unhappy because he has wings but he can't fly. He tries ordering a flying machine from a commercial he saw on television but he is too afraid to try it because he's afraid it won't work and it's too dangerous. Then Opus gets an idea. He decides to write a letter to Santa to ask for wings that work. In the middle of the night on Christmas Eve, Santa's sleigh breaks free from the reindeer harness and falls into the lake. The ducks who were flying see this and run to get Opus. Opus speeds through the water and saves Santa and his sled. When they are safely out of the lake Santa tells Opus that he doesn't see any wings that sputter when they should flutter. Opus realizes that his wings are actually very good because he can swim very fast. On Christmas morning, all the ducks who used to make fun of him pick him up and fly him high up in the sky. Opus is happy because he is really flying on Christmas morning just as he had hoped for.
Who would you recommend this book to? I think this is a fun book for any children. It's especially a good one for kids who struggle to recognize that they are special or who feel that they don't fit in.
Potential problems or conflicts: I don't see any potential problems or conflicts with this book.
My reaction: I thought that this was a really fun book. It's got a fun storyline and the illustrations are so fun! I love the style of the illustrations. It's a great feel good story and what makes it even better--it's a Christmas story!