Born to Fly

Description

Great things happen when you reach for the sky. The first thing Gilbert sees when he hatches from his egg is the sky. It is love at first sight and from that moment on Gilbert longs to fly like other birds. But penguins don't fly, they waddle, and Gilbert fails again and again each time he tries to take off. Until his biggest fall leads him to exactly where he needs to be. Born to Fly is a beautiful new edition of this beloved story about Gilbert and his quest to find his place in the world.

Patrick Guest was raised in the Melbourne beachside suburb of Seaford. Even as a child, Patrick was writing stories, starring in his own Powerful Patrick series: a major hit with his Mum, Dad and rabbit Snowball. A desire to be Michael J Fox took Patrick down the corporate path. After gaining a commerce degree at Melbourne University, followed by a three-year stint with a big mining company, Patrick realised that he was possibly the world's worst accountant. A dramatic change saw Patrick go back to study physiotherapy, and in 2000 he landed his dream job at the Sydney Olympics. It wasn't until his first son Noah was born, followed by Reuben and Grace, that Patrick started writing professionally. Since then he's had multiple picture books published, including That's What Wings are For and The Ricker Racker Club, with several more in the pipeline. Jonathan Bentley is one of Australia's most treasured illustrators, and is fast becoming an international favourite. He has worked with some of the best Australian authors, including Margaret Wild and Andrew Daddo, and has recently branched out into writing his own stories. His solo book, Where is Bear?, was a runaway success and sold into 16 territories in its first year. Several of his other picture books have earned prestigious CBCA recognition, including A House of Her Own, And Red Galoshes and Pink.

"With masterful composition and scale changes, Bentley creates a white and gently patterned icy world where flying birds wing in elegance both near and far. . . . Like Gilbert, this soars." -- Kirkus (STARRED review) "The underlying message about overcoming obstacles and achieving one's dreams is clearly represented in simple, poetic prose. Bentley's splashy watercolors vividly capture Gilbert's launch within an underwater paradise. . . . This top-notch picture book features a lovable main character and demonstrates that penguins can indeed fly. Recommended for wide purchase." --School Library Journal "A good addition to penguin-themed classroom units and storytimes." --Booklist