How to Heal a Broken Wing

In the big city, no one saw the pigeon fall and land, wounded on the sidewalk. "No one looked down . . . except Will." Amid the muted-toned clothing of adult citygoers, we see the little boy, a bright spot on a gray day, in his red coat and blue pants. He approaches the fallen bird with the broken wing. In a stunning double-page close-up illustration, he lifts up that bird with such tenderness and compassion, it will pull at your heart. Turn to the next page to show all the people walking past, caught up in their own lives, and Will's mother rushing over to help. She wraps the bird in her own scarf, while Will picks up one stray feather to carry, and they head down the steps into the subway. "A loose feather can't be put back," says the spare text, "but a broken wing can sometimes heal." Back home, Will and his parents wrap the wing in gauze, line a box with newspapers as a temporary nest, and wait and hope for the pigeon to get better.

Themes : ANIMALS. EASY READERS.