Fly Like a Bird by Olga Ptashnik

A little chickadee wonders how to fly like a bird in this well-illustrated picture book from Spain.

Fly Like a Bird by Olga Ptashnil. Eerdmans, 2025. 36 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 4-8

“What if I never learn to fly?” A little chickadee wonders as he looks at an adult chickadee (presumably the mother, although this isn’t specified). The adult chickadee reassures the baby: “All chickadees know how to fly, and you will learn to fly when the time comes!”

As all parents know, this isn’t the end of the story. There’s always another question. This time, the chick asks, “But how do birds actually fly?” And the rest of the book is a back-and-forth: the adult offers information in response to yet another question. Each time, a specific bird is described in the answer, from tiny hummingbirds to giant Andean condors, from birds that fly fast like peregrine falcons to birds that never fly like ostriches.

The construct doesn’t work as well as I wanted it to, the question-and-response format of child to parent. I think it would work better if it was a human child asking a human parent because the bird conversation feels contrived. That being said, the illustrations are fascinating in this book. Some are crisp and others are blurry, usually indicating movement. The palette of blues, browns, and grays with splashes of orange works well, and the information given about various birds offer a great introduction into the variety within the bird world.

One final note that I appreciate: ostriches are described as having learning to run fast, so they forgot how to fly (or something to that effect) instead of using the more common “adapted” or “evolved” terminology. Back matter includes a bit more on each bird.

Bottom Line: An interesting book that young bird lovers will especially enjoy. Look for it at your local library.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Reviews: More bird books you may enjoy: Birdlore, Feathers: Not Just for Flying, Owl Boy, On the Wing, and the National Wildlife Federation World of Birds.
• Book Reviews: Other nonfiction picture books you may enjoy include The Vast Wonder of the World (a picture book biography) and A Rock Can Be….
• Resource: We also have a Bird Booklist!

You may purchase Fly Like a Bird from amazon.